Shelly's Book Blog

I think I will add The Last Treasure, by Janet S. Anderson, to my recommended list for middle grade mysteries. This story's main character, 13-year-old Ellsworth (Zee) Smith, gets a letter asking him to come home to the Square in Smiths Mills, NY, because his family needs him. Ellsworth and his dad, Ben Robert, left the Square many years ago, right after Ellsworth's mother and baby brother died. Since then they have lived many places but have never returned home. However, now the family needs Ellsworth's help finding the last of three treasures that the family patriarch, John Matthew Smith, left. Ellsworth's father does not want him to go but finally allows it. When he gets to Smiths Mills, Ellsworth meets his cousin, Jess, and together they work to solve the puzzle of where the treasure is and how to get to it.

This is not a murder mystery, then, but a puzzle to solve, and the ending is quite satisfying. The story revolves around family and the importance of resolving conflict among family members, even if -- or especially if -- those conflicts have been festering for many years. There is a lot of family history to explain, going back to the 1800's, so the book starts out a little slow, but it picks up quickly. I enjoyed this story very much.