The Treasures of Weatherby

The Treasures of Weatherby is a quick read - I was able to finish it in an evening. I enjoyed the story and it definitely held my interest, but...it wasn't what I expected. The synopsis on the inside cover makes it sound like the story will be much more adventurous than it actually is. Despite the disappointing ending, I still think it's worth reading.

The main character is a 12 year old boy, Harleigh J. Weatherby IV, who lives in the rundown - but famous - Weatherby castle. Harleigh's father is rarely ever home, so he spends most of his time with is overbearing Great Aunt Adelaide and his tutor, Uncle Edgar.

One day, while Harleigh is searching the grounds for the famous Weatherby Maze, he meets a girl about his age who has somehow found a way onto the castle grounds. Her name is Allegra and Harleigh although finds her to be exasperating at times, they become friends over the course of the summer. The trick is, Harleigh has to keep her a secret from his Great Aunt Adelaide. Visitors aren't allowed on the castle grounds and they certainly aren't allowed inside.

While sneaking around the castle, Allegra stumbles onto a mystery - someone is trying to steal the hidden Weatherby treasure. Harleigh doesn't believe her at first, but once he does, it's up to him to keep the treasure safe.

There really wasn't much of a mystery - the kids seemed to figure everything out very quickly. In my opinion, the main point of the story was how Harleigh was able to grow - not just physically, but emotionally and I really liked that.