‘Treasure in the Lake’ with story and art by Jason Pamment is a graphic novel for middle school age readers about a mysterious town that appears.

Bugden is a small town where not much seems to happen. The adults seem fine with it but Iris wants to get out of town and have adventures. Her friend Sam doesn’t understand this, but he’s a good friend. When the lake water level drops, exposing a forgotten town, it’s Iris’ chance to explore, but the mysteries may be costly for Iris and Sam if they are not careful.

I really liked this adventure story. The characters are great and so is the art. I think young readers will find this an engaging read.

Beautifully illustrated, this tale of friendship and history has the perfect amount of creepy mystery and real feeling to hook readers for the whole ride.

Could this book be any more gorgeous?
The art is absolutely stunning and the story is a classic tale of growing up, friendship and feeling stuck in a small town with magical elements throughout. It's just a lovely book that will appeal to so many kids.

Do you ever feel stuck in your town? 13-year-old Iris wants to be an explorer and get out of the place she's always lived, but her best friend Sam doesn't understand why she would want to leave. The two friends get separated while they are on an adventure and discover a mysterious secret. This adventure-filled graphic novel offers a page-turning plot as well as deeper themes about friendship, family, and the search for self-knowledge.

Treasure in the Lake is about "Iris, a thirteen-year-old stuck in the tiny town of Bugden, who dreams of a world of grand adventure. Her best friend Sam, is happy with his life in Bugden as long as he has Iris. Their interests are branching off from each other as they enter the middle grades. During a hike around the outskirts of town, the friends discover an abandoned town, once flooded, now drained and ripe for exploration.
I LOVED this little adventure/mystery. This was a super fun graphic with beautiful scenes and artwork. The messages of friendship are well done and the storylines converging with the past and the present were linked perfectly. Awesome book and I hope there may be more adventures to come.
Extra points for the history section at the end of the novel!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Iris and Sam have been best friends since they were little. Iris has a drive to explore and learn, and leap without thinking about herself or Sam (and she's bossy without noticing it); although sometimes reluctant, Sam does enjoy following Iris into adventures.

As they get older, Iris is more determined to get away from the small town and travel to faraway places. She gets impatient with Sam for being happy where he is, and that's when they get separated. Soon, they will both need help, but will they accept it?

I understand Iris's ambitions, but she takes Sam for granted. She wants his support, but doesn't give any support or consideration in return. She tells him that his wants are stupid, and cuts him off while he's talking. That isn't friendship. It's an unhealthy relationship.

I'm sure that Iris has redeeming qualities, but being a good friend is not one of them. (Yet?)

I liked the strange happenings in the old town. It was cool and fun! It probably added to the suspense, but I was worried about the safety of the structures in the old town for the entire time!

The graphic novel is beautifully colored and drawn in an appealingly youthful way. Unfortunately, the characters (when they become teens) don't seem any older in actions, and the changes are minor except their height. So I kept forgetting their current age.

The story seems to lose its focus here and there, but I was happily along for the ride, and enjoyed every page.

I recommend this book to kids, tweens, and anyone (including adults) looking for some adventure and maybe a ghost-town visit!

NOTE: Since Bugden, France, and the Aztecs were the only place references, I was very confused about where on Earth they might be. It stopped the story for me several times wondering where they were. And the old town looks European... (A mention that Queensland, Australia was the location, would have allowed me to settle into the story.)

4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free preview of this beautiful ebook!

#TreasureintheLake #NetGalley

What could be more interesting than discovering that there is a whole town hidden in the bed of a nearby river? This idea makes for pretty compelling reading. Pamment makes the most of this idea visually, playing with structure and time both. We see the town in it's prime and after the river has taken it's toll. The reality of what is happening can be a little hard to grasp but the illustrations are strong enough to carry us through confusing events. A bit of a challenging read but worth the effort.

I adored this quick adventure! The pictures are stunning, and it was so intriguing!! I also appreciated the added content of the inspiration behind the story and graphic elements of the authors writing process! Highly recommend!

Two friends discover a long-lost city and friendship on an adventure of their own in this debut middle grade graphic novel. Iris is a bookworm who craves adventure outside of her tiny town, while Sam seems to like the comfort of small town life. They discover a dry river while exploring one day, and from there, happen on an ages-old mystery that involves a hidden city, and, possibly, a ghost or a time traveler. The key to Iris's and Sam's friendship is tied into this adventure, and the two have to get to the bottom of the mystery in time to salvage their own relationship. The artwork is the champ in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel; wordless panels and spreads let readers absorb the beauty of the artwork.

This story is exciting and emotional. Love the idea of the hidden city and the way friendship and the past are explored. The artwork is luminous--the skies, water, and the buildings all looked real enough to touch. Full of curiosities and puzzles, I think this is a great choice for upper elementary and middle school readers. I will definitely read future works by Jason Pamment and am excited to see what book comes next.

A fun adventure that has a bit of mystery makes this graphic novel a sure thing for tween readers. Parents would enjoy reading this with their kids, too.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

The art in this graphic novel is simply gorgeous! I like the premise of the story and it's a great bonus for early middle grade readers that it's a quick read which can help them feel a reading win.

For my students, it has a bit less text than they are used to in a graphic novel so it will require more inferencing from the illustrations to understand the plot of the story.

I love the concept for this book! The adventure Sam and Iris have when they find the hidden city reminds me of daydreams I would have on long trips or at my sister's soccer games. It is whimsical and creative. Even better, there are multiple real cities under water today that kids can look up after reading "Treasure in the Lake".
This is the story of an adventure shared between two friends who are growing apart as they grow up. Iris wants to escape Bugden and become an explorer. Sam has no interest in leaving Bugden and is proud of their hometown. When Iris's best chance at leaving is taken from her she runs to the river where she and Sam have played for years only to realize the water is gone. Sam reluctantly joins her as she collects artifacts from the dry riverbed. Their friendship is tested once they find the hidden city and go separate ways. They each meet a mysterious stranger who teaches them a lesson about the trials friends go through together.
This beautiful story might have been better told through a more traditional format (book/audiobook). The story is wonderful and beautiful, but I feel the author's verbal description of the action would have added more tension than the artwork accomplished. The artwork was excellent, but I felt did not bring enough emotion into the storytelling.

This noon was fun and engaging. I think there are many students in 3rd or 4th grade through 6th that would really enjoy the adventure in this book.

Overall this is an intriguing story about a Treasure in the Lake and the kids who want to retrieve it. It works for what it is, the only negative thing I can think of is that it's on the generic side.

First line: Wait for me Iris!

Summary: Two friends explore the river bed which has suddenly become exposed due to receding water. As they explore, they both express happiness and frustration at living in their small town. They make a shocking discovery at the end of the river bed...a Treasure in the Lake. That treasure reveals a history of their town that they didn't know about.

My Thoughts: Such a fun, quick graphic novel read. Kids with imaginations would definitely enjoy the storyline and flashbacks into history. There is a twist to be uncovered, which added to the whimsy.

FYI: Be careful...you might find a new favorite middle grade graphic novel.

The illustrations on the cover are what drew me into this book. I enjoyed some of the slightly mysterious elements f the story but those same elements were also quite confusing in the end. I actually enjoyed the side characters the most I think, along with the illustrations.

Treasure in the Lake is a graphic novel about Iris and Sam. They are two kids who live in a small town. Both of them find themselves immersed in an adventure that allows them to learn more about themselves and appreciate the friendship that they have. The illustrations were wonderfully made. It was especially helpful since there is not a lot of text to accompany the story. Readers will have to examine the pictures and the text to follow along with the plot. The back matter of the book was also interesting, and I am glad that author chose to include it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic! The story is exciting and engaging. The characters are strong and have distinctive voices. The artwork is wonderful. The artists use of light was awesome. I loved the plot, the mystery, everything! I really hope there are more of these stories! I would love to read more of these kid’s adventures!

This is a simply wonderful graphic novel. One of the best I have read in a long time.

The story follows Iris, who longs to leave her small town behind for bigger adventures elsewhere. When she gets accepted to a private boarding school, it seems like she might finally have her chance to leave. But leaving home will mean leaving her childhood best friend, Sam, behind as well.

When Iris and Sam stumble upon a dry lakebed, they discover a hidden city. Iris must discover the truth behind the hidden lake before it is too late, for there is a reason why the city has remained hidden for so long.

This is a really fun graphic novel, fast-paced and exciting. The storyline itself is really interesting, but the artwork is simply stunning. Pamment captures the beauty of the light, nature, the characters and the hidden city perfectly.

I can't wait to add this to our library collection. I have already pre-ordered it.