The dragon's treasure by Mark Greenwood
‘The spark to write a story can be an event, a character, a setting or a relic that teases my imagination. As a history hunter, my aim is to share stories by reconstructing people and the events that shaped our history.’ Mark Greenwood p 90. The Dragon’s Treasure.
Award-winning Australian author Mark Greenwood whose well-known books include History Mysteries and 2024 CBCA Eve Pownall Shortlisted book Our Country: Where History Happened has written the first in a four book series aimed at younger readers. The Dragon’s Treasure tells the fascinating story of a long ago mystery which came to light after four children discovered silver coins in 1931 on a remote beach in Western Australia. From that early discovery and Mark’s own experience in 1960’s while holidaying in Geraldton and hearing about the unearthing of silver coins, he began a search into what had actually might have happened and where the coins may have come from.
The story of the Edwards children and their discovery is engaging reading and gives readers a glimpse of life in the 1930’s in remote areas. It also shares how the discovery led to further findings as well as fortune hunters and theft. There were rumours of stories abounding about shipwrecks in the area including that of a Dutch ship, The Golden Drake, which was carrying thousands of gold coins in the mid 1600’s. From stories passed down through farming families and First Nations people in the area, the author has been able to piece together what may have happened to the ship, the crew, the passengers and the lost treasure.
The Dragon’s Treasure is an engaging read that will appeal to younger readers who enjoy learning about the past. In the final pages there is an excellent timeline of events from 1655 up until 2009. There is a ‘More to Explore’ section with references to books, archives, newspapers and websites plus acknowledgements. A wonderful resource for schools and public libraries.
Themes: History, Treasure, Shipwrecks, Western Australia, Investigation.
Kathryn Beilby