My Thousand Treasures

4.3

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Author(s)

Licia Chenoweth

Publisher Name

Orange Hat Publishing

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 23, 2023

ISBN13

978-1645384892

ISBN10 or ASIN

Eleven-year-old Raini Fraser wants her grandfather back.

Now that he's in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's, Raini is forced to live with her irritable, Scottish great-aunt who's intent on connecting her with her estranged father. Raini refuses, and her new life of strict rules and terrible food makes escaping out of her bedroom window a necessity.

During one such escape, Raini spies on two boys digging at a park when a security truck disrupts their progress and causes them to flee. Seizing the opportunity, she pockets their forgotten gold coin.

No longer able to rely on her grandfather's wisdom, Raini begins to unravel the coin's unknown past with the help of a professor at her grandfather's nursing home. However, the coin's value puts her in grave danger from those who will stop at nothing to get it back.

In a race against time, Raini decides her only option is to return the coin to its rightful owner. In the process, she uncovers deep-held family secrets about the coin, that have been hidden for generations. Could the coin be cursed?

More importantly, will Raini's estranged father, who knows something is wrong, finally earn her trust in time before it's too late?

Editor review

1 review

Making things right

February 25, 2026 (Updated: June 07, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

What worked:
The story breaks down into two main parts. The opening chapters describe Raini taking a gold coin that thieves left on the beach and fleeing the beach patrol. She reluctantly tells her cousin, Ian, what she’s done, and they form a shaky alliance to keep it a secret. The tension amps up when one of the thieves lurks outside their home, and Ian becomes especially distressed. The situation becomes more complicated when a couple of things happen. A professor tells Raini that the coin may be very valuable, which means she’s in a bigger mess than she thought. Also, the plight of an old, widowed woman is connected to the coin, and time is running out to save her home from destruction. Readers will become engrossed in Raini’s thrilling adventure as she tries to evade danger and trouble while trying to make things right.
The second main part involves Raini’s relationship with her father, Gerry. Raini feels no love for him, since he only recently entered her life. Gerry didn’t know Raini existed before that, so readers will need to decide how they feel about the situation. Gerry is trying hard to connect with his daughter, but she’s doing all she can to push away. Some of that is due to her strained feelings, while some of it is due to the time-sensitive adventure mentioned above. The pair tries to navigate Raini’s disrespect and impulsiveness, and Gerry’s family plans to help them grow closer. About halfway into the book, Raini learns their bond is even more confusing when her father texts that he knows about the coin.
What didn’t work as well:
Gerry and Raini’s great aunt are Scottish, and Ian has just returned from living there. The author tries to use alternate spellings to reflect their Scottish accents, but that strategy isn’t overly successful. Most young readers won’t be familiar enough with the variation in dialect, so they won’t appreciate the author’s efforts.
The final verdict:
Raini is a headstrong young girl who should connect with many middle-grade readers. Her mother left when she was a baby, and the book’s resolution revisits the topic. It seems likely that it will become part of the sequel. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.