I remember being in grades 2 through 5 and walking around my elementary school's library and picking out books that had a mysterious or thrilling cover (ya I know, I totally judged a book by its cover). However it worked in my favour as I found some great children's and young adult literature over those years (Bruno and Boots series, Goosebumps, Hardy Boys and much more). Truthfully, though I forgot most of them until I began to write this article, one book series in particular has stuck out. It was the Tom and Liz Austen Mysteries, specifically the title The Lost Treasure of Casa Loma by Eric Wilson.

The Lost Treasure of Casa Loma book cover

Eric Wilson was a former school teacher who wrote specifically to the desires of a younger age group. The books are relatively short, full of action and cliffhangers and are pretty out there in terms of plausibility. But hey, it's a book, an escape from reality. Most of the series takes place in Canada at famous cities and landmarks. I remember as a kid wanting to explore all the secret corridors and passageways described in The Treasure of Casa Loma.

I wish I could say that, as an adult, the books have held up over time, but unfortunately they are definitely geared toward the younger reader. However I believe there is an opportunity for any parent to have a book club with their children as most of the series touches on life topics that can spark a great household conversation.

If you are looking to start a family book club, check out our contest to win an Amazon $150 gift card to purchase any books you desire, you could even grab a Kindle Paperwhite and start an eBook collection! Read more about the contest details here.


What is 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here