My kids love to read but, while my 10-year-old daughter has found a wealth of age-appropriate books that she enjoys, my 10-year-old son is harder to please when it comes to fiction. So I'm always on the lookout for something that might pique his interest. Pirate Treasure of Cape May, a book for young readers by Steve Leadley, caught my eye while we were browsing in a shop along the Washington Street Mall in Cape May, so of course I had to pick it up for him.

Being me, I also had to read it.

The story is about a sullen, 11-year-old boy named Max who's not happy that his mother has dragged him and his younger sister for a weekend excursion to the seaside resort town. His mood worsens when his mom realizes she left something important at home and leaves him and his sister with a kindly old neighbor while she makes the 3-hour round trip home to get it.

At least he can watch TV while he waits, right? No, no sooner does old Mr. Jacobs show them the TV than a lightning strike takes out the power. To pass the time, Jacobs lights a fire and tells them a story....

Most of the book is that story, about a young boy named Billy who lived in Cape May just after the end of World War II. A surprise discovery while cleaning a neighbor's basement leads Billy on what just might be a treasure hunt for the infamous Captain Kidd's lost pirate booty. Over the next few days, Billy and his younger sister follow clues and solve puzzles that lead them to....

Well, no, I shouldn't tell you how it ends. But I will say the book is a fun read, less than 120 pages, and anyone who has visited Cape May will enjoy revisiting some of the familiar places mentioned in the book. The treasure hunt is well constructed, although the plot relies on a lot of handy coincidences that help Billy along the way.

Definitely written for young readers, I think my son will really enjoy dipping his toes into Billy's quest for hidden riches in a lovely beachfront town.

Addendum: My son loved it!