Review by Lily, Fortismere School, Muswell Hill, London
The book is set in 1881, in the Scottish Highlands. It was really interesting, and nice to see the Scottish dialect. My favourite character was Jen, who is a feminist and defies the standards that only boys can race. It was great to see an example of fighting for gender rights in history. It showed her and Sam's friendship grow, and it had an element of fantasy in believing in treasure and fairies. One of the things I liked most is that it's all based on truth! About the author of Treasure Island, his inspiration and family life.

Review by Holly, Mordiford CE Primary School Hereford
This book is based around Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island. It tells the story of how Robert sketches a map for his stepson Sam, inspired by someone called Jen Hawkins, who is certain there is buried treasure hidden in the area. Sam then follows the treasure map around Scotland, through beautiful hidden valleys and forests (which the author has described beautifully). This adventure inspires the author to write the famous book, so it was great to see how the book was born!

Finding Treasure Island is packed with mystery, dastardly characters (the Dogal boys who are nasty bullies) and a hint of magic and mythology. I loved the way the characters work together to overcome problems. Jen was my favourite character: she is adventurous and feisty, sticking up for others and she always does the right thing.

The book is written in old fashioned English and uses some Scottish words too (such as “bairn”) which I enjoyed learning. It is a very exciting and thought-provoking book, and I couldn’t put it down – I was rooting for Sam to find treasure! It has inspired me to read Treasure Island next!