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Secrets Hidden Below
The Adamson family are set for a surfing holiday in Bali they’ll never forget.
Dad wants to surf all day and Mum wants to shop. Zac is eager to explore a sunken WW11 shipwreck. Luke is keen to cause mischief wherever he goes. Clare on the other hand, just wants to stay out of trouble.
But while building sandcastles on Kuta Beach, the kids unearth a surprising find that dramatically changes their holiday. Curiosity leads them on a dangerous path to an adventure where difficulties lurk around every corner.
Secrets Hidden Below takes the reader on an intriguing treasure hunt around an exotic tropical island that includes plenty of rotten-egg gas, a guardian snake and a volcano spirit you definitely don’t want to anger.
Dad wants to surf all day and Mum wants to shop. Zac is eager to explore a sunken WW11 shipwreck. Luke is keen to cause mischief wherever he goes. Clare on the other hand, just wants to stay out of trouble.
But while building sandcastles on Kuta Beach, the kids unearth a surprising find that dramatically changes their holiday. Curiosity leads them on a dangerous path to an adventure where difficulties lurk around every corner.
Secrets Hidden Below takes the reader on an intriguing treasure hunt around an exotic tropical island that includes plenty of rotten-egg gas, a guardian snake and a volcano spirit you definitely don’t want to anger.
130 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2018
About the author
Sandra Bennett
12 books17 followersSandra is the award winning author of the thrilling middle grade series, the Adamson Adventures. Secrets Hidden Below, book 1, was shortlisted in the Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards 2019. Fossil Frenzy, book 3, was a winner of the Queensland Writers Centre Adaptable Competition, Book to Screen, 2020, Finalist Children's Fiction International Book Awards 2021 and received an Excellence in Literature Middle Grade Fiction Royal Dragonfly Awards 2021.
Sandra has written two Australian picture books using animals as the characters. They have vivid and beautifully illustrated images with subtle moral lessons that entertain children from 3 to 93!
previously she wrote a series of short chapter books for early and reluctant readers that incorporate a mixture of humour and fun science to keep the pages turning. As a former teacher of over 20 odd years Sandra understands the importance of hooking readers from an early age, increasing literacy in our children has become her passion.
http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/bo...
https://www.facebook.com/GingerbreadA...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/84730... Raising Awesome Readers is a group Sandra manages to share ideas to help parents with reading strategies.
https://www.instagram.com/sandrabenne...
Sandra has written two Australian picture books using animals as the characters. They have vivid and beautifully illustrated images with subtle moral lessons that entertain children from 3 to 93!
previously she wrote a series of short chapter books for early and reluctant readers that incorporate a mixture of humour and fun science to keep the pages turning. As a former teacher of over 20 odd years Sandra understands the importance of hooking readers from an early age, increasing literacy in our children has become her passion.
http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/bo...
https://www.facebook.com/GingerbreadA...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/84730... Raising Awesome Readers is a group Sandra manages to share ideas to help parents with reading strategies.
https://www.instagram.com/sandrabenne...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 4, 2019
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With a map of Bali, a magnifying glass, a volcano, a snake and a tropical background featured on the front cover of Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures, this book is sure to get young readers intrigued. The first book in a brand new series, Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures promises to deliver an action packed mystery novel, filled with secrets and hidden treasures to discover!
The Adamson family, comprising of Mum, Dad, Zac, Clare and Luke are all on a holiday on the exotic Indonesian island of Bali. The children are looking forward to plenty of fun and adventure. The promise of an underwater ship wreck fascinates the children. However, it soon becomes apparent that their Dad wants to surf all day and Mum seems determined to hit the shops every day in search of special souvenirs to take back home. While passing time on Kuta Beach, the three children are digging sandcastles when a shock discovery is made. A bottle with a map, leading to treasure is uncovered. The trio cannot resist an opportunity to discover this hidden treasure chest, so they set out on a quest, which proves to be a dangerous one at times, to retrieve the treasure. It is a journey that brings many surprises as the Adamson children unveil one of the islands’s hidden secrets.
Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures kick starts the first of many planned adventures in a series following the Adamson family. I know for many Australian families, holidays to the popular Indonesian island of Bali is commonplace. For me personally, I have visited the island for a holiday four times, in the space of ten years. The appeal of the tropical climate, the relaxing laid back atmosphere, the shopping and so much more has drawn us back time and time again. A middle grade novel for readers aged 8+ set in Bali immediately had me hooked. I think the opportunity to delve into the culture, traditions, folklore and tropical surrounds Bali has to offer makes this a great setting choice for a novel for young readers.
The initial hook, a map found in a bottle indicating the presence of long buried treasure will be sure to hold the attention of young readers. An opportunity to crack a mystery, explore and learn about the Balinese culture, its land, people, as well a little of the language is a really great idea. As an adult reader I found Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures to be personally interesting. I was genuinely interested in the quest to find the treasure and cheered for the Adamson children along the way.
From a teaching point of view, Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures would be an excellent vehicle to discuss the key features of one of our neighbouring countries. This book contains plenty of information on Indonesian culture, locations, climate, customs and more. Along with a detailed map of Bali, there is a glossary of common Indonesian to English vocabulary terms. Included are common greetings, days of the week and numbers. I would recommend this book to LOTE Indonesian teachers here in Australia, who may find this book a useful tool in educating students about Indonesia.
Overall, I enjoyed Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures and I appreciated the opportunity to share the reading experience with my nine year old son, who appeared to be the perfect age to appreciate all this book has to offer. As this is a fast paced and interesting adventure book it did keep him engaged. I’m keen to see what will eventuate for the Adamson children in the next adventure.
I wish to thank Elephant Tree Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures is book #58 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
With a map of Bali, a magnifying glass, a volcano, a snake and a tropical background featured on the front cover of Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures, this book is sure to get young readers intrigued. The first book in a brand new series, Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures promises to deliver an action packed mystery novel, filled with secrets and hidden treasures to discover!
The Adamson family, comprising of Mum, Dad, Zac, Clare and Luke are all on a holiday on the exotic Indonesian island of Bali. The children are looking forward to plenty of fun and adventure. The promise of an underwater ship wreck fascinates the children. However, it soon becomes apparent that their Dad wants to surf all day and Mum seems determined to hit the shops every day in search of special souvenirs to take back home. While passing time on Kuta Beach, the three children are digging sandcastles when a shock discovery is made. A bottle with a map, leading to treasure is uncovered. The trio cannot resist an opportunity to discover this hidden treasure chest, so they set out on a quest, which proves to be a dangerous one at times, to retrieve the treasure. It is a journey that brings many surprises as the Adamson children unveil one of the islands’s hidden secrets.
Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures kick starts the first of many planned adventures in a series following the Adamson family. I know for many Australian families, holidays to the popular Indonesian island of Bali is commonplace. For me personally, I have visited the island for a holiday four times, in the space of ten years. The appeal of the tropical climate, the relaxing laid back atmosphere, the shopping and so much more has drawn us back time and time again. A middle grade novel for readers aged 8+ set in Bali immediately had me hooked. I think the opportunity to delve into the culture, traditions, folklore and tropical surrounds Bali has to offer makes this a great setting choice for a novel for young readers.
The initial hook, a map found in a bottle indicating the presence of long buried treasure will be sure to hold the attention of young readers. An opportunity to crack a mystery, explore and learn about the Balinese culture, its land, people, as well a little of the language is a really great idea. As an adult reader I found Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures to be personally interesting. I was genuinely interested in the quest to find the treasure and cheered for the Adamson children along the way.
From a teaching point of view, Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures would be an excellent vehicle to discuss the key features of one of our neighbouring countries. This book contains plenty of information on Indonesian culture, locations, climate, customs and more. Along with a detailed map of Bali, there is a glossary of common Indonesian to English vocabulary terms. Included are common greetings, days of the week and numbers. I would recommend this book to LOTE Indonesian teachers here in Australia, who may find this book a useful tool in educating students about Indonesia.
Overall, I enjoyed Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures and I appreciated the opportunity to share the reading experience with my nine year old son, who appeared to be the perfect age to appreciate all this book has to offer. As this is a fast paced and interesting adventure book it did keep him engaged. I’m keen to see what will eventuate for the Adamson children in the next adventure.
I wish to thank Elephant Tree Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Secrets Hidden Below: The Adamson Adventures is book #58 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
October 20, 2018
5 Star Review for "Secrets Hidden Below," by author Sandra Bennett! This chapter book will leave readers turning the pages for more.
As the Adamson family sets out for a vacation in Bali, it all starts out a bit boring for Luke, Clare, and Zac. Their dad wants to do nothing but surf, and mom, wants to shop for souvenirs. The three siblings spend their hot time on the beach building sandcastles. They wait and wait for their parents to meet back up with them for things promised, such as, snorkeling and surfing. After digging and digging, suddenly, Luke and Zac stop as they hit something hard with their shovels. The adventure they hoped for turns into a series of suspenseful events. What do they find?
This tale is full of wonderful descriptions of the Balinese culture and so much more.
I recommend this story for all readers that love going on fun adventures and finding exciting, extraordinary treasures.
(I received a free copy of this story from the author in an exchange for an honest review.)
As the Adamson family sets out for a vacation in Bali, it all starts out a bit boring for Luke, Clare, and Zac. Their dad wants to do nothing but surf, and mom, wants to shop for souvenirs. The three siblings spend their hot time on the beach building sandcastles. They wait and wait for their parents to meet back up with them for things promised, such as, snorkeling and surfing. After digging and digging, suddenly, Luke and Zac stop as they hit something hard with their shovels. The adventure they hoped for turns into a series of suspenseful events. What do they find?
This tale is full of wonderful descriptions of the Balinese culture and so much more.
I recommend this story for all readers that love going on fun adventures and finding exciting, extraordinary treasures.
(I received a free copy of this story from the author in an exchange for an honest review.)
September 19, 2018
This took me back to the golden days of The Famous Five and The Secret Seven adventures. A great little adventure that keeps you guessing and you get to learn a bit of Indonesian along the way!
February 3, 2022
Another Awesome Adamson Adventure! The first in the series. Sit down, buckle up your seatbelts and hang on for an exciting Middle-Grade tale. What could possibly disrupt a family holiday in beautiful, balmy Bali? Well you may ask. After finding an old green bottle with a mysterious map, the siblings are convinced they are on the trail of treasure. How exciting! What more could curious kids want to find? Maybe a treasure chest from a pirate ship, filled with jewels and gold doubloons. But there is danger ahead. Snakes, anyone? With action reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and overtones of many old piratical tales, Zac, Clare and Luke plunge into discovery. Ah yes, a treasure chest. A mysterious piece of driftwood. Nefarious strangers lurking. Never let a skeleton or two get in the way of high adventure. Can they convince their parents to let them go and explore? Are their lives at risk? What is the involvement of the old blind man and the Dutch tourist? An exciting story from start to finish. You won’t be disappointed.
May 5, 2019
I picked this book up from Elephant Tree Publishing at Clunes Booktown festival over the weekend along with another book.
I always like to read a varying range of genres and while I would class this one as a younger ya, I still found in some parts of it, it was overly simplistic to a point when some younger readers might lose interest.
I enjoyed the map, the Indonesian translations on the back and some fun cover art to boot.
The pace is perfect, the dialogue is sometimes a bit hard to relate to, not sure if it’s geographical or age related, but overall, really fun and enjoyable.
Excellent adventure for your younger readers!
I always like to read a varying range of genres and while I would class this one as a younger ya, I still found in some parts of it, it was overly simplistic to a point when some younger readers might lose interest.
I enjoyed the map, the Indonesian translations on the back and some fun cover art to boot.
The pace is perfect, the dialogue is sometimes a bit hard to relate to, not sure if it’s geographical or age related, but overall, really fun and enjoyable.
Excellent adventure for your younger readers!
April 23, 2019
** Thank you to Elephant Tree Publishing for providing a copy of this book **
Imagine the excitement of discovering a secret map in a bottle hidden in the sand while on holiday in Bali! Could it be a map to a hidden pirate treasure? We join siblings Zac, Clare and Luke on an thrilling adventure to locate the treasure. This junior fiction novel is a fun, fast paced and action packed adventure story.
Imagine the excitement of discovering a secret map in a bottle hidden in the sand while on holiday in Bali! Could it be a map to a hidden pirate treasure? We join siblings Zac, Clare and Luke on an thrilling adventure to locate the treasure. This junior fiction novel is a fun, fast paced and action packed adventure story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews