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Children's Fiction General

Tower of Treasure

illustrated by Scott Chantler

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Aug 2010
Category
General, General, Boys & Men
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781771382168
    Publish Date
    Jan 2010
    List Price
    $11.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781554534159
    Publish Date
    Aug 2010
    List Price
    $11.19
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554534142
    Publish Date
    Aug 2010
    List Price
    $17.95

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Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 9 to 12
  • Grade: 4 to 7

Description

As an acrobat in a traveling circus, 14-year-old orphan Dessa Redd flies through the air with ease. Still, she is weighed down by troubling memories. But when her ragtag circus troupe pulls into the city of Kingsbridge, Dessa feels a tickle of hope. Maybe here in the royal city she will finally find her twin brother --- or the mysterious man who snatched him away when they were just children.

Meanwhile, Topper, the circus juggler, recruits Dessa and the circus strongman, Fisk, for the job of robbing the royal treasury. Hungry and desperate, both agree, setting off a series of adventures that will take the three thieves from one end of the world to the other in search of Dessa's long-lost brother.

Scott Chantler's fast-paced story will engage readers while his bold-lined art with richly detailed backgrounds is a tribute to classic comic books.

About the author

Scott Chantler is the Joe Shuster Award?winning cartoonist of the graphic novels Two Generals and Northwest Passage and of the Three Thieves graphic novel series. He is also a popular commercial illustrator whose clients have included McDonald's, Reebok, Macy's, Rogers, the New York Daily News, the National Post, the Toronto Star and Maclean's. When he's not doing either of those things, he teaches Writing for Graphic Novels at Max the Mutt Animation School in Toronto.

Scott Chantler's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Alberta Children's Choice Rocky Mountain Book Award
  • Short-listed, Outstanding Comic Book Cartoonist, Joe Shuster Awards
  • Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Starred Selection, Canadian Children's Book Centre
  • Winner, Comics for Kids, Joe Shuster Awards

Editorial Reviews

Chantler effectively presents action and adventure, with atmospheric coloring to convey the mood. It's an entertaining and action packed new fantasy adventure series that will appeal to fans of the genre.

Publishers Weekly

... creates thrilling action sequences that don't sacrifice sense for sizzle, making this the kind of fantasy tale that can be relished by children of all ages.

Quill & Quire, Starred Review

The banter among the three is sharp and witty and balances the visual pacing effortlessly. Fast paced, cleanly illustrated, great fun.

Kirkus Reviews

Librarian Reviews

Tower of Treasure (Three Thieves, Book One)

A travelling circus arrives in the capital city of Kingsbridge, bringing with it a one-headed Ettin, a small blue Norker and a 14-year-old acrobat on a mission to find her twin brother. Dessa (the acrobat) quickly finds herself on the outs with the circus owner and joins up with Fisk (the Ettin) and Topper (the Norker) to rob the Queen’s Tower of Treasure. The robbery goes awry, and the titular three thieves are caught by the Captain of the Guard. When Dessa realizes the Queen’s Chamberlain is the man who killed her mother and kidnapped her brother, things take a turn for the worse, and the three thieves are sentenced to death. One daring escape later, our heroes are on their way out of town with the Chamberlain’s notebook, a lead on Dessa’s brother and the Queen’s Dragons hot on their trail. We meet up with the three thieves again at The Sign of the Black Rock, a roadside inn where Dessa, Fisk and Topper are attempting to get out of the rain, only to be joined by most of the Queen’s Dragons, a ship full of smugglers and a greedy innkeeper whose wife has a connection to the Queen’s Chamberlain and the book Dessa stole from him.

The main character, Dessa, is a fairly typical plucky heroine, aided by familiar sidekick types Fisk and Topper. The villains are largely straightforward, though the Captain of the Guard has a little more depth. Hopefully, future entries in the series will flesh out the characters further and tell us a little more about the kingdom. Chantler has a nice storytelling style, both textually and visually, and an excellent sense of pacing. The stories never lag, the comedic episodes are well incorporated, and the action sequences are particularly well rendered. The art is a high point, with elements of humour, great facial expressions and a real attention to detail. These stories will be well appreciated by fans of comics and by reluctant readers. While the main character is female, the swashbuckling nature of the story will appeal equally to boys and girls in the 8-to-12 age range.

Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Winter 2012. Volume 35 No. 1.

Tower of Treasure (Three Thieves)

An acrobat in a travelling circus, 14-year-old orphan Dessa Redd, is looking for her long-lost twin brother. Hungry and desperate, she and Fisk, the circus strongman, are recruited by Topper, the circus juggler, to rob the royal treasury. A series of adventures ensue as the three thieves travel from one end of the world to the other in search of Dessa’s brother. Book One in the series.

Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Best Books for Kids & Teens. 2011.

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