The Treasure House

by Linda Newbery

When Nina's mother, Miranda, mysteriously disappears, Nina's father goes to look for her, leaving Nina with her two eccentric aunts who run a charity shop in town.

Nina soon discovers that working in the shop can be funny, intriguing and rewarding as she takes in weird and wonderful donations, makes new friends and uncovers strange secrets! But Nina is determined to solve the mysteries that have taken over her life - where has her mother gone? Why did she leave so suddenly? And just what is the secret she's been hiding?

Award-winning author Linda Newbery grips and entertains readers in her usual mesmerising way with this intriguing new mystery.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Mystery

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Linda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.

With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.

Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.

She lives in rural Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[:¨·.·¨: `·. izzy ★°*ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t bad but it wasn’t amazing either. I was expecting more of a mystical and mind-blowing plot, but didn’t get one.

I liked how it was written in third person as I thought it made the writing a little more interesting. Sometimes I find that books written in first person by young children (Nina was around 11) can be a little too simplistic for me.

Having said that though, the writing wasn’t amazing and the characters felt a little two-dimensional. It felt like the characters were just there because they needed to be for the story, to fill it.
I thought the plot was very odd and the ending felt flat. The “mystery” was really bizarre and I thought the way the parents handled things was very silly and a little unbelievable, but I went with it.

I really didn’t like how mental illness and disability were represented in this book. I think if you’re going to bring it up, you need to develop this plot line and flesh it out. Characters, even though children, need consequences for the way they view and talk about people with disabilities and mental illness in this book. It was really gross and the author just left it as is, it doesn’t really teach young children reading this that it is wrong etc. It doesn’t educate them either.

I liked the charity shop and how it was compared to a treasure shop. I also liked how each chapter heading was a different item from the shop.

Overall, it was a little lacklustre and not what I was hoping for. I feel as if the book was almost too short, sometimes short books work, but for this story it felt rushed and flat. There were too many things going on with not enough time to fully flesh them out.

If I had read this book when I was younger and not have left it on my shelves, I probably would have enjoyed it more. I think it’s a great little book for a younger audience.

I love the cover (it’s so beautiful) and I do have to give credit for it being different and unique to any other book I’ve seen.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It is written in the style of Jacqueline Wilson, and I quite like reading books by her. I would recommend this book for 9-14 year olds.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nina’s mum has disappeared. No-one knows where she has gone or why, not even Nina’s dad. When her dad decides to go in search of Nina’s mum she is left in the care of her two aunts who run a charity shop. As Nina struggles to cope with this turn of events she discovers some of her mother’s most loved possessions in the shop and her confusion deepens. With the help of her friend Max she decides that she must solve her mother’s disappearance herself. As one by one the friends try to solve the clues the mystery and Nina’s family secrets become steadily more intriguing.

Nina is an engaging heroine and, as she copes with family drama at the same time as moving up to secondary school, the author managed to make the character both believable and sympathetic. I think readers of a similar age would identify easily with her. The setting in a charity shop is slightly unusual for a children’s story but is a familiar place to today’s youngsters and worked well, contributing successfully to the plot. I particularly like the characters of Nina’s two aunts who added a little humour and warmth to the story.

Linda Newbery tackles some difficult issues in this book with a deceptively light touch. In addition to the disappearance of Nina’s mother and the difficulties of coping with unpleasantness from other girls at her new school, the trauma of mental health problems in young people is also tackled in a very sensitive manner. The general tone of the book is kind and positive and for this reason reminded me a little of Kate Mayron’s books on similar topics although the writing style is different.

The mystery of Nina’s mum’s disappearance and the other well-handled story lines will hook young readers and I think that this book will be very popular with tweens and maybe slightly older readers too. An enjoyable and recommended read.

[Emmeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came away from this book thinking "Naww, that was sweet." It was a nice read for a cold rainy day, the sort of book that requires a warm blanket and a mug of tea. Wonderful.

The things I liked: it was sweet. The main character (a seventh grader) had no love interest (thank you very much). There was a beautifully written character who had mental breakdowns and it was wonderfully dealt with from the eyes of a seventh grader. The writing style was delightful.

Things I disliked : I felt like a few characters could have used a lot more depth. Overall, it wasn't that realistic. The ending felt a little forced - in real life I'm not sure it would have turned out that way.

For such a well written book, the unrealisticness of it kinda got to me. But overall I enjoyed it.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was misshelved in the adult section, so probably only gets a low rating as its not something I would have chosen as a kid book.....to simplistic in some ways, and in others not.
The behaviour of both parents beggars belief...as indeed does the child, who plans a fashion show appearance with enthusiasm with parents missing and seemingly only able to communicate via text or a phone call saying nothing?
Not great.

[Maria Longley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurrah for charity shops! Nice to read a book that features one, and they do manage to have treasures in it too. Although poor Nina... a disappearing mother is no fun.

[Gunjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

How good can this book get!!! Linda Newbury had outdone herself this time and this book is so amazing and engaging. I could read this every day, it's that good!!!!

[Erum Abbasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Treasure House.

Mystery.

(ISBN13: 9781444003420)

The treasure house’s writer is Linda Newbery. Linda Newbery is a British writer. The treasure house has 224 pages, The book was published in May 1st 2012 by Orion Children's Books. Its genre is mystery. The book was nominated for Carnegie Medal Nominee (2013). Appropriate age is 9 to 12 years.
Nina's mother is friendly and creative. All of sudden she disappears, leaving only a message telling people not to worry. Then Nina finds some of her mother's preferred things in the charity shop, and chooses to investigate the mystery, that have taken over her life.
Life must go on, no matter what crisis a person may be living through. This is an outstanding book, clearly describing the experiences and of emotions any one of Ms. Newbery's crowds of fans could confront. Its message is that regardless of the difficulties and unhappiness that must be part of life, you can always find a friend or a family member to offer love and support.
This book was so vivid and the mystery just attached so well in together it made the whole story alive. The book is full of surprising turns and twists which keeps you interested.

[auteaandtales · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty interesting, but the end fell kinda flat. I was just expecting something much more mindblowing. I guess, for a kids' book, it was quite mindblowing. I liked that it was written in the style of Jacqueline Wilson, who was my favourite author as a kid. I loved that it saw charity shops, the place her aunt owned and where she volunteered in, as a treasure house. I personally see charity shops the same way, I absolutely love them. Not the best thing I've ever read but also not the worst.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little mystery story that kept me guessing as to what was going on and I was surprised, so that's always a good sign! If you can guess the ending when you haven't even made it halfway through, that's not good! Totally suitable for the 11 and up crowd.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good for younger readers but generally not amazing. There wasn’t much plot unfortunately, and nothing really happened throughout it and the ending wasn’t great. It was exciting not knowing what the big mystery was, but felt anti-climatic.

[Charlotte]

an esepcially good pick for kids who love fashion thrifting

[Serendipity Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have heard so many good things about this author I was very excited to get my hands on her latest book. The book is set mainly in a charity shop, which had me intrigued. I couldn't believe you could create an interesting read around other people's cast offs, but that is exactly what Linda Newbery managed to do. I will definitely look closer for second hand treasures after reading how Thea, a secondary character created beautiful outfits for a fashion show with the items that she found in Second Hand Rose. She reminded me of Molly Ringwald in Pretty In Pink.
There were quite a few descriptive passages within the book, which really helped to bring the story to life. I could clearly envisage the charity shop and the llama park, really adding to the enjoyment of the story.
I loved the characters. The author is excellent at creating realistic and believable people in her stories. They all so well crafted, they stood out with their uniqueness. Jake was definitely my favourite - like a modern day Lenny from Of Mice and Men, but much more in control of his thoughts. The only character I had a real problem with was Nina's mother - she just didn't work for me. I was surprised by her decision to leave her daughter just before she began secondary school. Many parents will know how traumatic and life changing that transition period can be and it would only take a close parental death to pull you away, leaving very little contact. Yet she was willing to desert her child during such a stressful period for something extremely less important. She just appeared really self centred and frivolous to me and would definitely be struck off my Friends list for this.
The book took me a little while to get into, although that may have been my state of mind rather than the book. Once I got into the story, I really began to enjoy it as Nina went into Nancy Drew mode and solved the mystery of her mother's absence.
A warm, light hearted story which will have you scavenging in charity shops in search of your own treasures.

[Beth Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog Thoughts from the Hearthfire

A well-spun mystery, centred on the endlessly fascinating charity shop. Recommended for 8+ (and would make a lovely shared bedtime read)

Many of the ingredients of classic children's stories are here: a missing mother (because who can have an adventure with Mum around to check up?); endearingly mad older relatives; a mystery to solve; friends and less-than-friendly kids at school. Reading this had a nostalgic feel, probably because it is vaguely reminiscent of books I grew up with, although at the same time it is firmly set in the here-and-now with mobile phones and environmental worries.

Nina is a great character: grounded, caring and just trying to get on with things the best way she can. Children will relate to her with ease, and will be cheering her on as she works to unravel the mystery of Mum's disappearance. The aunts are fabulous creations and complement one another beautifully. The real star, of course, is the shop, and this is shown in the chapter headings which are all objects in the shop (many of which you can see around the edges of the gorgeous cover).

The main plot thrust is of course Nina's Mum, but the novel also manages to deal with new school worries, threads about friendship and a lovely sub-plot relating to an upcycling fashion show, as well as an age-appropriate consideration of mental health. There is a real lightness of touch here that makes this a cheering reading experience, even while you're in the middle of it, not knowing where Nina's mother is or how things will turn out.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. In the best tradition of children's literature, it raises some difficult questions (e.g. what if Mum just walked out?) and encourages readers to think about less-than-pleasant things, without threatening their security.

[Daisy May Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first came across Newbery with her books Polly's March and Andie's Moon which are part of the awfully underrated
Historical House series. She's an author I return to regularly because of how big she writes. Every book I've read of hers so far has very quietly addressed some massive, massive topics. And The Treasure House is no exception. It's one of the biggest little books I've read for a long time.

Nina's mother has disappeared, just as she's starting senior school. And when possessions of her mother's start to appear in the charity shop run by Nina's Aunts, it's up to Nina to figure out just where her mother has gone.

In a way, this book is defined by absence and space and loss. It's about how Nina has to cope with one of the greatest changes of her life without one, and then both, parents. It's hard to not engage with Nina, she's a gorgeous lead, full of pain and happiness and glee all at the right points. And it's also particularly appealing (and a little heart-aching) how she handles things at school during her rocky first days.

The Treasure House a very quiet, nuanced book with a whole world of subtle magic to it. Finishing it produced one of the most contented feelings I've had in a while.

[Suzanne Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows a young girl and her attempt to find her Mum after she mysteriously disappears. It reads like a child's book, lacking the sophistication or complexity for an older audience but readable enough in it's way. I read it basking on a sun lounger with a glass of wine to hand and for that it fitted the bill completely! The girl in the book; it's main character is likeable and the story is easy to follow but I found it somewhat dated and intend to pass it on both to my mother (a big fan of easy reading) and to my pre-teen daughter who, I suspect is much more the target audience!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the premise of the book, but found the actual story a bit disconnected. There are some great characters that never get fully developed. I'd like to know more about the aunts and even more about the Dad. As the story goes on, you find out little tid bits about the mother - but not enough to fully explain the ending. She was married previously, but never divorced, never told her current "spouse" and none of this (or the other random children) ever played into the story until the final chapter. It was a good read, but nothing fantastic.

[Beverley Clark]

I read this a while back. It's about a girl whose Mum goes missing and she sets about trying to find her. Her sleuthing work is interesting and well plotted and the minor characters are well drawn and will especially appeal to girls. However, the climax of the book disappointed as it seemed contrived and far-fetched. It could have been shorter.

[Sigourney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a lovely little story! It was nice reading something simple and heartwarming with a happily-ever-after ending.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well crafted mystery. Knowing about the British charity shop system would help to place this book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found in the YA section but probably aimed a the younger side of that.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy coming of age read. 12 year old Niña's mother goes missing and Niña makes it her project to find her, discovering a lot about adults and friendship along the way.