The Treasure of El Patrón

World of Adventure #10

by Gary Paulsen

Picking up where his father left off, Tag Jones searches for the sunken treasure of El Patron, a Spanish galleon ship that sank in 1614, and finds himself in dangerous water

70 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, exciting story again of Gary Paulsen. I really enjoyed this story from the start. It was easy to read and had a lot of adventure. So if you haven't got anything to do this weekend....

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Continuing the wide variety of themes throughout Gary Paulsen's World of Adventure series, The Treasure of El Patrón is a hunt for pirate gold and a tale of contemporary drug trafficking, all rolled into one. Thirteen-year-old Tag Jones lives in Bermuda, managing a fishing equipment shop founded by his father. Tag’s dad died on an underwater search for the treasure of the El Patrón, a Spanish galleon that sank off Bermuda’s coast in 1641. Tag has ambitions to discover the treasure himself, but refrains from mentioning this goal to his mother.

Tag and his friend Kevin "Cowboy" Trace dream of excavating riches from the seafloor, but practical considerations take over when a pair of suspicious-looking tourists named Spear and Davis rent fishing equipment from Tag. He tries to put them out of mind when Gamell, owner of a dive shop, tells Tag that his father was on the cusp of discovering El Patrón's treasure at the time of his fatal diving accident. Tag and Cowboy strap on diving gear to resume the search, but getting past some nasty deep-sea creatures will require strategy.

Is Tag mere hours away from vindicating his father's legacy? Finding treasure won't be as simple as dodging razor-toothed moray eels guarding the cavern. Spear and Davis are powerful men invested in way more than a fishing excursion, and when their interests collide with Tag's, his life is on the line. Drug dealers in Bermuda have a lot of clout, and involving the police could endanger Tag's mother. Is there a way to neutralize Spear and Davis so Tag can claim the treasure and finish his father's quest?

Not nearly as gripping as the previous series entry—Project: A Perfect World—The Treasure of El Patrón nonetheless offers decent undersea action. Spear and Davis occasionally act in over-the-top unbelievable ways, so I only rate the book one and a half stars; considering how short it is, though, this isn't a bad read. If you want an especially simple Gary Paulsen junior novel, The Treasure of El Patrón might be what you're looking for.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books. They’re such fun short reads. This is a great one about treasure hunting while scuba diving. Fantastic.