Customer Reviews

Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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Lillian Cauldwell has written an imaginative, multi-cultural, adventurous mystery with a riveting twist. The young and inquisitive heroine, Anna-Mae, along with her brother Malcom and their best friend Raul want to change the status quo at school and so they stir the pot with their curious antics and with grandmother's sage advice. In her endless quest to be understood, Anna-Mae teaches us courage, acceptance and resolve through her paranormal interactions with a mysterious ghost with a message. This coming of age story allows us to understand how fear and struggle with school friends are resolved by tapping into the available energy of supernatural forces. Lillian breathes life into this heartfelt mystery through her creativity and intelligent metaphors. It fills up our senses and guides us through an emotional roller coaster that we cannot ignore. If Harry Potter read this book he would want to take a class from Anna-Mae.

Anna Maria Prezio, Ph.D.,
Best Selling Author of "Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster"

An outcast in her highly segregated school in Georgia, 12-year-old Anna Mae Botts spends most of her time with her little brother, Malcolm, and her best friend, Raul.

The start of a new school year promises that things won't be any different, when, already late for school on the first day, the trio is waylaid in the school yard by a ginger root with a mind of its own and a disembodied, floating black hand. Both mysterious and mischievous, the hand drops clues in the form of scraps of paper, all with the same message: "Find the gold!"

Unfortunately, Anna Mae's rival, Stanley Paxton (AKA "The Pit Bull"), also finds himself at the receiving end of the black hand's antics, and his embarrassment brings on a whole new wave of trouble for Anna Mae. Between the hand's actions in dropping more clues in the middle of the classroom and the determination of her classmates to pin all of the recent happenings on her, Anna Mae has trouble enough just getting through the first week of school and maintaining her friendship with Raul.

Things get even more stressful when Grandma Zora shows up to watch over Anna Mae and Malcolm, and she's constantly reminding Anna Mae of her paranormal heritage. With the help of her grandmother, friend, and brother, can Anna Mae find the missing confederate gold of Jefferson Davis?

I had a difficult time following along with this story, mainly due to the fact that the author skirts around key background information that would give the reader a greater understanding of the characters' motivations. (For example, why is Anna Mae so shunned to begin with? Why is her school so incredibly segregated? Does Grandma Zora practice voodoo, or something else?) Nevertheless, one has to admire the blend of Civil War history and mystery, and the author's promise of more books in this series that will expand the world of Anna Mae for the reader.

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

This is a seat hanger and seat hugger book for anyone to read and enjoy. It starts out with a phantom black fist blocking Anna Mae, Malcolm and Raul from getting into school. It ends with them finding the fabled lost gold treasure of Jefferson Davis, but with a bit of a twist. A paranormal mystery for anyone who loves their adventures served in a roller coaster read. Heartily recommend it!

The Anna-Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure is a multi-cultural mystery novel for young adults. Twelve year old Anna Mae Botts, her eight year old brother Malcolm, and Anna Mae's best friend Raul Garcia encounter a ghostly black fist on their first day of school. It drops paper clues about Jefferson Davis' lost Civil War treasure, and later a school fire occurs. Paranormal events multiply, and the young people are led along the same trail that Jefferson Davis once took with his gold-laden wagon train. A fascinating story of uncovering history's secrets as well as hidden wealth, The Anna-Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure is sure to captivate the imagination and is a welcome addition to young adult library collections.

With Supernatural help, three very bright school age children set out to find gold buried during the Civil War. Their excuse? It's a school term project.

The history, unlike that in many children's books, is accurate and well researched. But the author does not let research and facts get in the way of a slam-bang good story complete with images that blast a searing picture into your mind. The history is the background here, and the story is the emotional maturing of children who are beginning to learn they have some very real, somewhat paranormal powers, in addition to the ability to research on the internet.

The writing is precise, rich, colorful, and the author's voice has the authority of a good classroom teacher. You won't find better from any publisher.

Readers of all ages will be engaged from page one and find much to discuss with others who have read this book. Reading can be a socializing experience. I'm looking forward to reading more Ana Mae Mysteries!

A fun combination of a child conjurer, unexpected visits from haints, lost gold, spirit possession, and the search for gold is on. Three children follow the trail of lost Confederate gold and four adults follow them to keep them safe.

If you like tales out of the ordinary with lots of action and lots of fun, you will enjoy this story of two African American children and their Hispanic friend when Anna Mae starts getting clues and visits from what can only be called weird beings in the form of a disembodied fist, laughter, invisible beings that open and close doors for her--all leading her to a particular goal.

When the school burns down is the perfect time to follow the clues and see where they lead. The question of who set the school on fire points a finger at Anna Mae.

A fun read told from the viewpoint of the child who is the recipient of attention from strange quarters, some of which will make you laugh while enjoying Anna Mae's adventures. Recommended for anyone who enjoys paranormals, children, and adults who believe in the kids for a change. A lighthearted look at the weird mixed with the darkness of common prejudices of our times that find their ways into the minds of kids who use them against others. It is this that keeps our feet on the ground, making us aware of the lesson to be learned while being thoroughly entertained.

Enjoy. I did.

Do you believe in ghosts, voodoo or magical roots? If so, then the Anna-Mae Mysteries are a perfect read for you. Cauldwell takes readers on a ride with all five senses. Floating black fists, ginger roots and Grandma Zora are no joke when it comes down to assisting Anna-Mae, Malcolm and Raul with clues to finding long forgotten gold of the Civil War era.


Going back to school after a long, fun summer vacation is hard enough. But when you add bullies and ghosts to the mix Anna-Mae finds it tough to cope. Cauldwell does a great job of describing the events that take place as well as the schools surroundings and its students. The segregated arena gives the reader some insight on the main characters and their emotional state. Readers will encounter language, cultures and most important, history. Will Anna-Mae and her crew stop the bullies and find the treasure? You will have to read it to see.

In this tale of school intrigue, buried treasure, and paranormal occurrences three friends strive to make sense of confusing events. Anna-Mae is at first frightened by the strange things that seem to happen always to her. But when Granma Zora hears about it she sheds some light on Anna-Mae's predicament. What is the meaning of the levitating black fist and the odd root? Anna-Mae, Raul, and Malcolm will just have to find out as they follow a trail for buried treasure from the Civil War and attempt to clear Anna-Mae of a crime she didn't commit.

This is the first in a series of Anna-Mae Mysteries. L.S. Cauldwell tells a colorful tale of life in middle school. This story is sprinkled with bits of information from the legend of what happened the the gold Jefferson Davis had borrowed to fight the war and was supposed to pay back. School bullies, a fire drill, and then a fire add to the mystery and the danger.

Summer was over and Anna-Mae Botts dreaded the return to school and the start of 7th grade. Along with her brother Malcolm and best friend Raul Garcia, they slowly trampled their way through the school yard. Suddenly, they find themselves the audience of a ghostly disembodied black fist blocking their way. The fist delivers a message to them, one they don't quite understand at first but none-the-less starts them on a mysterious journey-a journey which leads them on a search to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the civil war-the location of the final resting place of Jefferson Davis' lost confederate gold!

In The Anna-Mae Mysteries, The Golden Treasure, LS Cauldwell has created an educational multicultural adventure and supernatural mystery. I was reminded of the 1985 movie The Goonies [Blu-ray] where a group of ostracized young kids go on an adventure for lost treasure. Cauldwell does a wonderful job at integrating the everyday issues and pressures that multicultural kids face today - bullies, stereotypes, clicks, prejudices - into an engaging story featuring wonderfully developed and colorful characters.

I especially enjoyed how Cauldwell weaved civil war history as a major plot vehicle for the children to use in order to solve the location of the missing gold. In this way, the author both educates and entertains. I look forward to the next Anna-Mae mystery.

Length:: 1:51 Mins

This is my video review of this great, well written book!