Fool’s Gold was a fun middle grade story which is incorporates mystery, magic, and humor. The book is full of quirky characters including Lottie, our 12-year old protagonist who doesn’t quite fit in. I think that Lottie is a great role model for children since she is unique and a bit of an outsider, but uses her knowledge and some unconventional sidekicks to help save the day!

I loved Lottie’s great-grandfather, 101-year-old (or 90-11 as he’d say), Cheddar George. He brings a lot of humor to the story. I also liked Vernon, a hypnotist who just wants to find his missing dogs. I think the author did a great job of writing all of the characters giving each one their own unique traits.

I did struggle a bit with the writing. The author is from the UK, and a lot of slang that I didn’t know was used throughout. However, this is a great way to open up kids to different cultures and to teach them how people in other countries say things differently.

The story teaches us not to judge a book by its cover which is always a great message. This quote from Cheddar George stood out to me, “