Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Secret Letters audiobook

I received this advanced copy through NetGalley.I really loved the twists, turns, and mysteries in the treasure found in this book. Collin and Naveah come from similar, but contrastingly different families. Navaeh's father is the local "Junk King". She is destined to continue in her father's footsteps. Collin's mother is the competition of the Junk King. Her mission is to help people downsize and purge their possessions. The parents are truly opposites. Her father doesn't buy anything new and his mother rids herself of clutter. I can nearly imagine both parents on some DYI or Home Decor television show. Collin, while "working" for his mother for the summer, literally lands on the mystery. He discovers a box of letters written years before by Toby to his friend Rosemary. Collin becomes entangled in the details of their friendship, which abruptly ends. On the hunt for Rosemary's side of the story, Collin stumbles onto Nevaeh and unlikely friendship. Their search exposes even more mysteries! These mysteries unfold skillfully and don't take the attention from the main plot.I have always enjoyed the characters and plots of Haddix books. Again, Margaret Peterson Haddix didn't disappoint. Collin and Nevaeh were believable and relatable. Their story, in true Haddix format, left me guessing. I am ready for the next installment of this series.

What a fun book! Colin and Neveah are each working for their parents for the summer. Colin's mom Felicia is a minimalist -- helping people clear out the clutter. Neveah's family is in the junk business. Her father calls himself The Junk King. They specialize in upcycling. The two businesses consider themselves to be competitors. But are they really? A box of letters found under an attic board draws Colin back into the 70's through the eyes of a boy named Toby. When he tells Neveah about his find, they hunt for the letters that his local penpal Rosemary might have kept. Their experiences with the letters turn this book into a 70's time capsule. Why did the letters stop? What happened to Toby and Rosemary? Colin and Neveah are determined to find some answers. Could their partnership lead to a better relationship between the two businesses? Topics like the Bicentennial, pet rocks, ERA, Pong, and current TV shows took me back to my childhood. For kids of this century, it will be a window into the past and Margaret Peterson Haddix adds some notes at the end to elaborate on 70's events and pop culture. Informative and entertaining. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series.Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent bedtime read. An intriguing, enjoyable mystery that grabs hold, but also let's go without too much fuss. Relatable characters and family dynamics, cozy-small community vibe, all good stuff.

New York Times bestseller Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my favorite authors and this new book lived up to her talent for engaging readers. As a seventies child,myself, I really enjoyed reading the references to my decade from the beginning to the conclusion of the afterword. Colin and Nevaeh, have parents who own rival junk-removal businesses. The children are not the proudest of the family business. As they become involved in helping one summer, they uncover mysteries hidden in attics and basements and discover how trash can become treasure. One day Colin and Nevaeh become intrigued by a box of vintage letters that lead to interlocking mysteries from the 1970s and ‘80s. They begin a world opening up the issues of yesterday and sadly in sone ways still exist in the 21st century… “women’s lib,” the ERA, and other social issues from that time in history. Junk removers mantra is to dispose, not keep so when Colin finds a shoebox full of letters hidden in a stranger’s attic, he knows he’s supposed to throw them away. That’s his summer job, getting rid of junk. But Colin wants to rescue the letters, and find out what really happened to best friends Rosemary and Toby way back in the 1970s as laid out in the forgotten art of letter writing. Meanwhile, across town, Nevaeh also finds a mysterious letter. But this one reads like a confession to a crime. And Nevaeh knows her father, the “Junk King,” expects her to join the rest of the family in blaming a single suspect: his business rival, Colin’s mom.But that’s not what Nevaeh wants. The set of letters bring Colin and Nevaeh together, in an intricate and intriguing mystery. This is Margaret Peterson Haddix first installment in the series of The Mysteries of Trash and Treasure. The series will examine a different time period in history in each book and make readers think about how we value the stuff we hold on to, and what it is that makes it valuable.Haddix is talented at giving Colin and Nevaeh different voices as they work together to solve mysteries they run across while helping their semi-feuding families in their respective junk removal businesses while also learning about history in a fun, new way. I'm so happy to offer this new Haddix series to pre-teen readers.

Middle grade contemporary mystery. In the small town of Groveview, Ohio, there is the Greevey Family business and the Creedmont family business. Nevaeh Greevey is the youngest of five, and this is her first summer working for here dad's business- the Junk King. All of the older siblings and her fath

The Secret Letters was a delightful read from start to finish. Colin and Nevaeh's parents own two competing junk-clearing companies. Each has grown up "in the business" with mixed feelings about the job. In the process of clearing out a house, Colin finds a hidden shoebox which begins the treasure hunt of his life! But the "treasure" is not what you might expect! His search crosses paths with Nevaeh and together they become not only secret friends (their parents cannot stand each other) but also secret detectives. Colin and Nevaeh uncover the epistolary history of two childhood friends. But the letters abruptly end when they apparently had a falling out. Now the youngsters piece together clues and gather information trying to locate these now-grown pen pals. They hope to find out what went wrong and help get them reunited. But if Nevaeh's Dad knew she was spending time with Colin, he would definitely put an end to their investigations.The author did a fabulous job of sprinkling in details about the time period throughout the book as well as offering additional historical notes at the end of the book. Young readers will come away with a more complete understanding of the struggles for equality that women faced in years past. I felt the topic was handled in a way that children could understand.Positive elements I particularly liked: strong family dynamics in both Colin's and Nevaeh's homes; positive attitude toward work; an examination of the expectations our family may have of us and how that can impact one's future choices. I'm excited that this is the first in a series and can't wait to read the next one! Disclaimer: I received a free copy of The Secret Letters from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

See my full review here.This is the first entry in a delightful new series by the prolific Haddix, featuring Colin and Nevaeh, whose parents operate similar but competing junk clearing businesses. This summer, the two 12-year-olds join the family firms as expected. Colin finds a shoebox of letters written to a girl named Rosemary in the 1970s from her friend Toby. Secretly taking the box, Colin learns Toby is obsessed with television; Rosemary is determined to live up to her feminist potential. In a bid to find Toby’s address, Colin meets Nevaeh, who is distracted by her father's theories on what happened to a storage unit that should have been full of antiques. Intrigued by Colin’s mystery, Nevaeh convinces him to join forces. Along the way, they learn about 1970s cultural icons and history like Billie Jean King, Fonzie, pet rocks and the Equal Rights Amendment. How these two kids from very different families collaborate and find the answers is an enjoyable journey with a realistic plotline, flawed but loving parents who have their own secrets, and a gentle feminist message. A terrific choice for young readers who enjoy puzzling modern mysteries with spirited and resourceful characters. My thanks to the Grand Forks (B.C.) and District Public Library for including this mystery in its children’s fiction collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really loved this book. Both protagonists were kids I wanted to root for. I enjoyed the shifting narration, and how the story more or less continually flowed through their different perspectives rather than stopping in one area and picking up in another. I also really liked how the author made Colin and Nevaeh’s family structures opposite: Colin from the only-child, single-parent, orderly and tidy household and Nevaeh from the boisterous and chaotic 5-child household. It helped to highlight how the differences in their upbringings contributed to their worldview, but also to show that they themselves, weren’t very different. The mystery aspect of the book was intriguing, and I loved how the various storylines and secrets came together in the end. I am happy this is the beginning of a series, because I am looking forward to reading more of Colin and Nevaeh’s adventures.

This book is classic Haddix. This time it’s completely realistic fiction, not science fiction. It’s about Colin and Nevaeh, two twelve-year-olds who try to solve the mystery of two shoeboxes of letters. The letters were written by Toby and Rosemary in the 1970s. Why did they stop being friends? Where are they now? Also, Colin and Nevaeh’s parents both own trash-removal businesses and don’t like each other. What secrets are the adults keeping? Can Colin and Nevaeh choose their own futures? This story is suspenseful and I read it in one sitting. I liked the dialogue between the two main characters; it felt realistic. So did their internal thoughts and worries. Be prepared for themes of feminism. I would recommend it to younger readers because some parts are a little cheesy.

As a kid, I loved Haddix’s Shadow Children series, and this new series does not disappoint. Mysteries of Trash and Treasure follows two kids of rival junk collectors and organizers, who become friends as they solve a mystery that involves reuniting long lost friends who wrote letters to each other in the seventies. I loved the family bonds in the book and the ways in which Neveah and Colin learn about the seventies through the references in Rosemary and Toby’s letters. Overall, this was a great and thrilling read for any middle grade reader! Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC and the opportunity to share my opinions on the book!

A very satisfying mystery set in the world of junk removal. Colin is helping his mom for the summer with her “curation” business – helping people clean out their belongings. Neveah is also helping clean out houses for the summer, joining her 4 older siblings as part of her father’s “Junk King” crew. When Colin discovers a shoebox full of letters under a floorboard and realizes that two best friends named Toby and Rosemary had a terrible falling out in the 1970s, he is determined to set things right. He teams up with Neveah and they figure out where to find the second shoebox and they work to figure out what happened to drive Toby and Rosemary apart.

Cute YA book about two 12 years, Colin and Nevaeh. Both of their parents own rival junk removal businesses and both Colin and Nevaeh are working with their parents for the summer. Colin finds a box of letters between two friends and the two kids work together to figure out who the owners of the letters from the 1970s are.Lots of fun memories from my childhood. I always wanted to have a special adventure as a kid.Highly recommend Mysteries of Trash and Treasure for the young adult in your life.

Highly entertaining and informative middle grade mystery with some twists and turns that you don't see coming! Memorable characters emphasizing the possibilities of a platonic boy-girl friendship and the collision of the past with today's technology added additional substance to the plot, with the added bonus of a window into the past. Margaret Peterson Haddix adds some notes at the end to elaborate on 70's events and pop culture which will most certainly amuse and surprise middle school students.

I had two hours left and I thought the mystery had been solved. Surely, it had. But to unravel it fully was so much more satisfying. I loved the layers. I never saw any of the layers coming. All of the foreshadowing you thought you were getting? Yeah, it wasn’t. Which I LOVED. I thought this was so clever! And it reminded me a little bit of Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, which is one of my ABSOLUTE favorites. I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to the next one now!

This is a fun new trilogy from Margaret Petersen Haddix about two tweens, Colin and Nevaeh. While cleaning out a house during the summer, Colin finds a shoebox filled with letters from the 70s. What he discovers takes him on the adventure of a lifetime. He uncovers truths about himself and his family, makes a best friend, and helps solve a mystery. I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out!Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.