Hidden Treasure: A timeless children's adventure

By Author / Illustrator

Jessie Burton

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781526604569

Format

Hardback

Published

13-03-2025

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of The Miniaturist. Jessie Burton's Hidden Treasure is the phenomenal page-turning story of two children whose lives collide when they find an ancient treasure with the power to return to them the most precious thing they have ever lost.

For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back.

Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo's dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which - when the pieces are reunited - holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost. But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

For fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, Hidden Treasure is a classic in the making, with a rip-roaring plot, spine-tingling twists and an unforgettable cast of characters.

'Pure magic [...] the heroine feels as real as Tracy Beaker' - The Telegraph. 'A jewel of a book. An exciting and absorbing adventure story full of magic and wonder. A rare feat.' - Katya Balen, author of October, October. 'For anybody who believes in love and magic and trying to do the right thing.' - Abigail Dean, Bestselling author of Girl A and Day One. 'Burton effortlessly combines a high-stakes mystery and characters with true emotional depth. A story that stayed with me long after turning the final page' - A.F Steadman. 'A glorious, glittering story that shines with magic, friendship and wonder. Unmissable.' - Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door.

Reviews

Beverley

Bo Delafort is a mudlarker. She lives in London with her mother and her older brother Harry, who has just left home to fight in the First World War. When she meets the orphan Billy River on the banks of the Thames they instantly form a bond. Then Bo finds a fabulous jewel in the mud of the river. Made of silver, pearls and rubies and in the shape of a moon, the jewel could be worth a fortune to Bo's family. But she and Billy know that the jewel has another function, and that it is full of the magic of the river. Lord Muncaster is desperate to reclaim the jewel, and there are others who have darker reasons for wanting it for themselves. Bo and Billy find themselves in a race against time to solve an ancient mystery.

Hidden Treasure is a truly glorious book! Full of adventure and heart, it is a real page-turner filled with wonderful characters. Bo is a fantastic heroine, she loves her family and is drawn to Billy who has no family to call his own. Clever and brave, Bo has to make heartbreaking choices as the story progresses in order to help those she cares about. Billy is so interesting, lost and without a place to really call home. His friendship with Bo is the focus of the whole book and is so well described by the author. The main theme of the story is friendship, but Burton also sensitively covers grief and the acceptance of loss.

The book is beautifully written, with atmospheric descriptions of the river, which becomes character in its own right, a living, breathing thing. The novel is well plotted; there are some very clever twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and the action never flags. The finale of the book, set against the eeriness of a solar eclipse, is a masterclass in writing, suspenseful, frightening, heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting.

I have no hesitation in saying that Hidden Treasure will be one of my books of the year. Highly recommended to readers aged nine and over – you’re going to love it!

320 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian