The Money Boot

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Jim has a dose of the post-Christmas blues. It is December 27 and his
brand new skates are still sitting under the Christmas tree because a
raging blizzard has closed all the rinks in the city. Fortunately,
Jim’s best friend, Gary, lives in the same apartment building. When
Gary drops by for a visit, the two boys decide to go to the local
convenience store. The shopping expedition unexpectedly turns into a
treasure hunt when Jim and Gary find a huge boot stuffed with rare coins
buried in the snow. Rather than keep the money for themselves, the two
friends become junior sleuths to track down the owner of the missing
boot and booty.

This Level 4 chapter book in the First Flight Series is aimed at
readers in Grade 3 or higher. Its prose is extremely readable, although
the narrative suffers from a certain flatness of plot (when Jim and Gary
find the boot, they call the police; the police actually solve the
mystery and report back to the boys). However, the author manages to
flesh out the narrative with a series of interesting subplots that keep
the reader entertained. Recommended.