Kaleidoscope Eyes
  • Published: 15 December 2010
  • ISBN: 9780440421900
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $16.99

Kaleidoscope Eyes

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In her fourth novel in poems, Jen Bryant blends a friendly first person girl's voice, 1960s era historical detail (the stress and controversy of the Vietnam War), and a small town mystery (will a set of clues lead to pirate treasure?). Inspired by the true story of a father and son who recently discovered buried treasure in their own farm field, Jen Bryant's new novel is perfect for middle-grade mystery fans, and for anyone--child or teacher--with an interest in 1960s culture (and counterculture).

Will Lyza’s 1968 summer mystery lead to . . . pirate treasure?

When Lyza helps her dad clean out her late grandfather’s house, a mysterious surprise brightens the sad task. In Gramps’s dusty attic, Lyza discovers three maps, carefully folded and stacked, bound by a single rubber band. On top, an envelope says “For Lyza ONLY.” What could this possibly be? It takes the help of her two best friends, Malcolm and Carolann, to figure out that the maps reveal three possible spots in their own New Jersey town where Captain Kidd (the Captain Kidd, seventeenth-century pirate) may have buried a treasure. Can three thirteen-year-olds actually conduct a secret treasure hunt? And what will they find?

In a tale inspired by a true story of buried treasure, Jen Bryant weaves an emotional and suspenseful novel in poems, all set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War during a pivotal year in U.S. history.
  • Published: 15 December 2010
  • ISBN: 9780440421900
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $16.99
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About the author

Jen Bryant

I went to Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I majored in French and minored in German and Secondary Education.
I live in northern Chester County, Pennsylvania, with my husband, Neil; my daughter, Leigh; and our energetic springer spaniel, Sam.

Also by Jen Bryant

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin
Ringside, 1925
The Trial
See all

Praise for Kaleidoscope Eyes

*Set in 1968, with the Vietnam War, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix in the background, Bryant's novel-in-verse effectively weaves Lyza's narrative together with letters from Vietnam, Captain Kidd's pirate's log and an occasional poem that stands beautifully on its own....Readers will fall under the spell of the delicious plot and race ahead to see if Lyza and her friends find buried treasure."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred

*"Sincere and well-paced, with the backdrop of a tumultuous period in history, the story is not easily forgotten."--Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Tensions among families are drawn with heart-wrenching prose, and [Bryant's] depiction of segregation is flawless. Bryant uses simplistic verses that are just right....An absorbing read."--VOYA