The Treasures of Weatherby

By Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Three-time Newbery Honor winner Zilpha Keatley Snyder combines a cast of quirky characters with an eerie old mansion to create a spellbinding tale of mystery and magic.

Harleigh J. Weatherby IV feels misunderstood. At age twelve he is about as tall as a six-year-old, and no one lets him forget it. At school the bullies nicknamed him “Hardly.” Now he is homeschooled at the Weatherby mansion, where strict Aunt Adelaide is always on his case about something.

Then Harleigh meets Allegra. When she literally flies over the walls of Weatherby and into Harleigh’s life, the two form an unlikely friendship. Allegra is fascinated by the enormous Weatherby mansion, and against Harleigh’s orders, sneaks inside. Together they discover that someone is trying to find—and steal—the long-lost Weatherby treasure. Will Harleigh and Allegra be able to foil the villain and save Weatherby House?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Jun 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481400824

Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Zilpha Keatley Snyder is the author of The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid, and The Witches of Worm, all Newbery Honor Books. Her most recent books include The Treasures of Weatherby, The Bronze Pen, William S. and the Great Escape, and William’s Midsummer Dreams. She lives in Mill Valley, California. Visit her at ZKSnyder.com.

Reviews for The Treasures of Weatherby

[booksandbosox · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt very blah about this one. Actually, I had second thoughts before I started as to whether or not I actually wanted to read it. I don't know what it was exactly; I guess there wasn't enough to the story for me. Harleigh is a descendant of an odd family, the Weatherbys, and they live in a huge old house. One day he meets a girl, Allegra, who has alledgedly flown over the very tall fence around the house. They become friends, sort of, and she is very curious about the house. At the same time, there is some sort of treasure hunting going on. I guess the description makes it sound like there's a lot going on, but there really wasn't. Pretty disappointing. And the story with Allegra very much fell flat at the end.

[hezann73 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Harleigh Weatherby the Fourth is 12 years old and has some big shoes to fill. Actually, that's part of the problem. Harleigh is so short, that before he started homeschooling with a private tutor, the kids at school used to call him "Hardly" as in "Hardly there at all!" Harleigh is a direct descendent of the first Harleigh Weatherby and therefore has the "privilege" of living in Weatherby Mansion. Most the time Harleigh 4 isn't so sure it's really a privilege. His dad is gone all the time, and his Aunt Adelaide has all kinds of rules everyone who lives in the mansion must follow.Harleigh's unhappiness and boredom send him outside, where he meets a girl named Allegra who is trespassing on the property. Rather than turn her in, Harleigh and Allegra form an unusual friendship and find themselves banding together to discover who is trying to find and steal the treasure rumored to be hidden in the mansion.This isn't a must read, but it definitely held my interest (I read it in two sittings). Harleigh is a likable boy and Allegra is more than a touch mysterious. It's a little bit of adventure and mystery rolled into an easy and quick read.