Tucker’s Lost Gold (The Pollywog Adventures) by Jill Thomas

What worked:

The humble, rural life depicted in the story may feel like a fantasy for elementary readers growing up in a modern, urban setting. The first focus of Polly and her two friends, Joey and Henry, is to build a treehouse on a scary neighbor’s property, without his knowledge. How often these days do you see kids using vacation time to do something like that? Polly gets aggravated with her parents when they make her wear a dress or when they expect her to help bake pies in the kitchen. She’d much rather be helping her father build a new stand for the fair and is very resistant to any typical stereotypes of women. The kids walk everywhere and all of the neighbors and business owners know each other. The sheriff is even aware of Polly’s overactive imagination. The narrative itself reflects these simple times as it doesn’t get overly complicated.

There are suggestions of a mystery as the main conflict slowly develops. The neighbor’s daughter died in an accident ten years ago and there are some questions surrounding her death. Polly notices some strangers lurking around town but it’s not totally unusual with the Fourth of July fair coming up. One of these people turns out to be the new town minister but Polly immediately suspects he’s keeping secrets. She decides to keep her eye on him and enlists the reluctant help of Joey and Henry.

What didn’t work as well:

The synopsis overhypes the drama and suspense of the book. The mystery of the lost gold doesn’t enter the plot until two-thirds of the way through the book. Polly suspects the new pastor isn’t who he says but he remains in the background while the kids go about their business. The uncomplicated story may not appeal to some readers but it fits the reading ability of elementary students.

The Final Verdict:

This is a book for young readers that has no violence, profanity, or sexual references. It’s a wholesome story of an adventurous young girl and her friends as they enjoy summer and try to stop some nefarious plans. Overall, it’s an entertaining elementary-level book and I recommend you give it a shot.