By Eric Berlin
A boy who can't stop making puzzles finds hidden strips of wood with words on them, and they lead straight into a decades-old treasure hunt.
Winston Breen sees puzzles everywhere and drives his family a little crazy with them. When his sister opens a birthday gift and finds thin slats of wood hidden in the box, each carrying a strange word, Winston realizes they spell a clue. That clue leads to another, and soon he and his sister are following a trail of riddles laid down years ago toward a genuine buried treasure, with a couple of other people hunting for it too. The best part: the puzzles are real, printed on the page, and your child can solve them right along with Winston.
This one is catnip for a child who loves the machinery of a good puzzle. The mystery is warm and low-stakes, so nobody has to brace for anything, and the treasure-hunt structure keeps a page turning even when your child stops to work out a clue. It rewards patience and a pencil, and there's a sequel for when they want more.