Customer Reviews

The Treasure of Amelia Island (Florida Historical Fiction for Youth)

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The Treasure of Amelia Island is very interesting and contains a lot of action. After reading this book my grandparents, brother and I went to Kingsley Plantation. Kingsley Plantation is where Ana Jai lived for some of her life. The Treasure of Amelia Island is a very good book for classes to read together because it is historical fiction and NOT boring. Another reason this is a great book is that I live in Florida and I thought it was cool to learn about what Florida was like when it was still ruled by Spain. This book is great for all readers. I shared it with my 3rd, 4th and 5th grade class who all loved it. My mom also enjoyed this so much that she read it to my 5 year old brother who did not want her to stop reading it to him.

Treasure of Amelia Island is the best historical fiction novel I've read in preparing for my 4th grade students' social studies and reading classes. Ms. Finotti takes a true historical event and shows it through the eyes of an 11 yr. old. I teach in Florida, thus we teach Florida history in 4th grade. We used her book for a nine week unit in reading, coinciding with our social studies unit, of Florida history. The author graciously agreed to visit our school and we decided to make a gift for her (on the sly :-)). We spent 3 weeks summarizing each chapter, complete with illustrations, and had it hard-back published. She had no idea, and when she visited, our students presented her with "our" version of her wonderful book. The parents were able to buy the kids' version and my students learned what it takes to publish a book. Also, the parents were buying and reading the book because of their student's enthusiasm! Of course, Ms. Finotti was totally surprised and the best part, the kids were about to faint waiting for the moment when we presented her with our version. It made the local newspaper and NPR on the radio! When these kids are future parents, I'm absolutely certain they will always remember the book they published (besides, they have their one copy with their original art and summaries.) Publishing, "sloppy copies", summarization, similes, metaphors, foreshadowing, plot; OMG we learned so much. For a perfect cross-curriculum project ( and a whole lotta fun for the students) I don't know of a better book!

The Treasure of Amelia Island is a historical fiction novel for young readers with an accompanying reader's guide including chapter prereading questions and predictions, discussion questions, and suggestions for essays and projects. Set in the Spanish territory of Florida during the early 1800s, The Treasure of Amelia Island follows the Kingsley family - Zephaniah, who married the black slave Ana Jai and freed her from slavery along with their children, including young Mary Kingsley. Patriots from the United States of America sought to lay claim to Florida, with the intent of making it into a slave state. The Patriots did not care that Zephaniah had freed his wife and children. Amid this tense political backdrop, Mary Kingsley decides to set out in search of a legendary pirate treasure with her brother George and her half-brother Diego. An exciting adventure ensues, in this captivating story written with close attention to historical detail. The Treasure of Amelia Island is especially recommended for middle school libraries.

M.C. Finotti has put together a gem of a book with this offering. Through the young girl / narrator Mary, Finotti has skillfully woven together the everyday lives and dreams of the characters with the historical events that drive the plot forward. This makes for a story that is exciting and educational at the same time, no easy accomplishment and a true sign of fine work in the genre of children's historical fiction.

And while the history lesson is there, the ideas Finotti brings to light in that context can be used as a springboard for discussions of issues relevant to young readers today. The extended Kingsley family would certainly be called multi-racial, "non-traditional," or combined by today's definitions, an experience that many of today's readers would know first-hand. Racial inequality and class differences are presented in a very matter-of-fact, almost jarring way (Ana Jai is a former slave who now owns slaves herself) that are tailor-made for debate, and even the political strife of the Spanish Loyalists in Florida and the Patriots in Georgia could be used as a primer to introduce the current concept of today's "Red and Blue" states.

Finally, although the history and characters presented are "Florida-centric," the book is by no means narrow or parochial, and should be enjoyed by young readers everywhere.

I loved the book so much. After three chapters of reading you feel like you have known all the characters for a long time. This exciting adventure is a great book for all ages 9+. - PD McCawley, Atlantic Beach FL

Through the author's story-telling, the history comes alive, as if you were there with Mary, Diego and George. The book is fast-paced with action happening in every chapter. The sights and smells are vivid; I can almost taste the ambrosia dessert. Living in Jacksonville, Florida, I can't wait to explore the St. John's River and visit the Kingsley plantation from a different perspective.
As a former teacher, I found the reader's guide to be an excellent resource. The discussion questions encourage the reader to analyze the action and motives of the characters. The essays and projects are great ideas to stimulate students' minds and enhance their creative writing and cognitive skills.
Students will find they enjoy history, when told in such an engaging way.