Book Reviews

Mystery of the Golden Temple:Thailand 1, written by Lisa Travis, Janelle Diller, and Adam Turner (Pack N Go Girls), is a delightful children’s chapter book that readers in elementary grades would enjoy.  The story is appropriate for younger readers but provides vocabulary that may challenge readers up through 5th grade. The story is about the Johnson family’s journey leaving the Northeastern region of the United States (Boston) and visiting Thailand through a young person’s perspective (Jessica). The story includes childhood curiosities and a desire to learn more about new people, places, and customs. Joined by her family (Jared), Jess meets Nong May, Pee Aran, Khun Yaa, Khun Pa, etc.  The story centers around exploration and adventure to find a lost amulet. Despite the bad luck that is associated with the lost amulet, the quest to find it is carried out with lots of opportunities for childlike wonder and play. There is lots of conversation between Jess and the other characters especially as they find interesting things along the way and comparisons are made to history and US culture. 

The book is perfect to pair with a social studies lesson that covers geography, map reading, and different terrains. The readability of the text fits that of a younger reader. It has both words and phrases in English and Thai. The mixture not only gives the reader an authentic experience but shows the authors’ inclusion of the native language and customs of Thailand. The vocabulary supports morphological and phonological awareness.  There are lots of explicit definitions of novel words. The writing style incorporates vivid visual descriptions of the adventures that allows the reader to feel like they are in the setting. Illustrations throughout the text portray the beautiful differences among the characters.  The story leaves the reader with hope that persistence and eagerness to learn more will lead you to success (finding the amulet).  #ReadYourWorld #gifted