Buried Treasures of the Great Plains

by W.C. Jameson

Overview

Thorough research is evident as one progresses through this adventure-filled text. -School Library Journal The dusty trails heading west of the Mississippi provided intrigue, adventure, and danger for the men and women who set out in search of a new life and fortune. Outlaws along with pioneers and forty-niners traveled this frontier often, finding and losing riches along the way. The Great Plains region – loaded with history from Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and Mexican, German, and Scots-Irish settlers – holds some of the country's most promising opportunities for finding buried treasure. Scattered from North Dakota to Texas, these stories provide a glimpse into the lives of fleeing outlaws, hard-working ranchers, priests, prospectors, and immigrants—all entwined in their search for treasure. Along with riches and loot, readers will also find messages encouraging courage, responsibility and resourcefulness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874834864
Publisher:	August House Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/10/2006
Series:	Buried Treasure
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.48(w) x 8.31(h) x 0.49(d)
Lexile:	NC1320L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 18 Years

About the Author

W.C. Jameson Bio:W.C. Jameson is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than seventy books and over 1,500 articles and essays. In addition, he is an accomplished songwriter and performer, having recorded five albums of his original music and acted in five films. He has written the soundtracks for four films, and wrote and performed in the musical, “Whatever Happened to the Outlaw, Jesse James?” Jameson is the best-selling treasure author in the world. Perhaps he is known best, as the creator of the popular Buried Treasures of America series for August House. His success and fame as a professional treasure hunter has led to appearances on television's “Unsolved Mysteries,” the Travel Channel, the Discovery Channel, Nightline, and National Public Radio. He also consulted with the production team for the highly successful feature film, “National Treasure,” starring Nicholas Cage. One of Jameson's most popular books is Billy the Kid: Beyond the Grave, a regional bestseller. This controversial book presents stunning evidence that the famous outlaw, Billy the Kid, was not killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881 but went on to live an adventurous and productive life for the next sixty-nine years. Jameson has won numerous awards for his writing from a number of professional associations. A nationally recognized and honored author, he has served as a judge for several prestigious literary competitions. When not on an expedition or writing a book, Jameson tours the country performing his music at folk festivals, colleges and universities, concert halls, and roadhouses.

Editorial Reviews

These volumes will make you want to get out the old metal detector and try to find the buried treasure somewhere, even in the backyard. ... Jameson’s books are well researched and engagingly written.

The Pilot

Jameson, a professional treasure hunter, teacher, and editor, continues his "Buried Treasure" series, which now numbers over a dozen titles. Each book begins with a brief introduction to the area, including the source of treasure. In the case of Buried Treasures of the Great Plains, the source is not piracy but returning gold miners who buried their wealth whenever they expected danger on the road. The stories all bear the same key elements: a short explanation of how the gold was earned or discovered; the reason it was buried, with a sketchy description of the location; how it was subsequently lost because the owners died or the terrain was drastically altered; a discussion of attempts to locate the treasure; and, finally, a challenge to the reader to find the lost treasure. Jameson is a good storyteller and has done extensive research in tracking down all these tales, but real treasure hunters will need much more detail to find the loot. These could be popular with younger readers and may even be highly requested in areas specific to the various titles.John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.

Library Journal

Gr 5 UpThorough research is evident as one progresses through this adventure-filled text. A lengthy introduction describes the origin, geography, and people of the area. The stories are then divided by state: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. Three to seven legends per chapter tell how treasures and fortunes came to be buried on the Great Plains. Of those mentioned, the Dalton Gang is probably the most widely known. Each chapter begins with a map showing the location of each tale, which varies from 6 to 10 pages in length. This title concludes with an extensive glossary and a long list of references. A collection that will be enjoyed by a wide audience, including reluctant readers.Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS

School Library Journal