Little Lim and the Golden Treasure – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Fantasy, competition, friendship, seaside, treasure.
Children’s book title: Little Lim and the Golden Treasure by Frann Preston-Gannon.
Children’s author: Frann Preston-Gannon.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Piccadilly Press.
ISBN: 9781800785571.
Recommended for children aged: 6-10 year-olds.
First published: Paperback May 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: younger readers beginning to access chapter books independently.
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Our review:
Little Lim is very excited! The supermoon celebrations for the rare super blue moon are almost here, and not only is her dad baking lots of yummy cakes, but she can enter the Young Explorers competition! All she has to do is find the most unique, beautiful shell, enter it under her name, and then win! The celebrations only take place every ten years, and she will be far too old to enter next time!
With her best friend, Kai, Little Lim heads off to find something wonderful, but she has already been exploring and that morning saw a beautiful golden shell, which she absolutely knows would win – if only she hadn’t lost sight of it! Together, Lim and Kai search everywhere they can think of, meeting other friends and classmates looking for their own treasures, but finding nothing of their own.
When Kai has to go and help his mums at their café, Lim heads back to the seashore where she last saw the beautiful shell. Unfortunately, she isn’t as careful as she’s been taught, and a large seagull sees her as a quick snack! Hiding between the rocks, she watches the moon as it begins to rise, unsure if she will ever see her dad again, let alone worry about winning a competition!
Our verdict:
Little Lim and the Golden Treasure is a lovely book to hold and a pleasure to read. The illustrations are just right, and the story is ideal for younger readers to enjoy. With just 92 pages and short chapters, this will neither discourage nor confuse readers in its suggested age range.
Family and friendships are at the heart of this story, and both Lim and Kai are relatable and fun. The final few chapters provide both a satisfying and realistic ending, or as realistic as it can be in a fantasy location, which should also encourage class discussion.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Little Lim is tiny, but she is a very powerful swimmer. How is her size described in the first chapter of the book?
- The supermoon celebration is a chance for everyone in Tidepool to have a fun time enjoying themselves and eating lovely food. What type of celebrations do we have that include a whole city/town/village?
- If you had to describe a village of very tiny, seafaring folk, how would you do it? Would you have the same types of buildings and occupations in your imagined location as you see every day, or would you make things up?
- At the end, Little Lim gives up her prize. Why does she do this? Could you be so generous?
- Both supermoons and super blue moons are real, but one is much rarer than the other. In either a cross-curricular or pairs activity, design two posters: one for the celebrations themselves and a second one for the Young Explorers competition.
Many thanks to Piccadilly Press for the review copy.
Frann Preston-Gannon is also the author of Bird’s Eye View Reading.
To order a class set of this book, please click below to order via uk.bookshop.org, an organisation that supports local bookshops, or Amazon.co.uk.
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