James Haddell Books In Order

Publication Order of Tales of Truth and Treasure Books

(Thanks so much to James for writing this bio – much appreciated!)

James Haddell grew up loving stories of all kinds and fell in love with children’s literature again as an adult after training as a primary school teacher and becoming a parent through adoption. He writes adventurous stories for 8-12 year-olds that are full of mystery and heart.

His debut middle-grade series, Tales of Truth and Treasure, is currently two books in: The Lost Child’s Quest (2020), The Forgotten Crown (2021), and Secrets Set In Stone, publishing at the end of 2022. It is a treasure-hunting adventure series, full of charm, secrets, thrills, a passion for history and a sprinkling of magic.

The Tales of Truth and Treasure series follows the adventures of ten-year-old Tia, as she settles into life with her new adoptive family, the Trevelyans. The Trevelyans live in an eccentric community of historians and archaeologists on the Cornish coast, where life is centred around untangling the mysteries of the past.

The centrepiece of this unusual seaside village is the medieval castle, which houses Tia’s new school, Stormhaven Castle School of Exploration and Discovery. Here children are encouraged to be adventurously curious, and the curriculum is delivered in very unorthodox ways that utilise the unique setting and wealth of historical knowledge on the doorstep.

Supported by loyal family and friends, Tia begins to investigate the mysteries surrounding her own history and discovers an inexplicable link between herself and some impossible legends of ancient Celtic Britain. In search of answers as to how she first ended up in a children’s home as a baby, Tia finds herself in an underground chamber housing a magical hoard of mythical treasures. And this is only the beginning of a quest steeped in Arthurian legend that will continue for several books.

There are villainous characters lurking in the background however, who seem inextricably drawn to the very same fabled and historical treasures that Tia finds herself tasked with finding.

Along this journey there are also threats to her new-found home and loving family. The quest for legendary, yet very physical, treasure plays out alongside a more cerebral search for personal truth and understanding that comes with Tia’s desire to discover who she is and where she came from.

The author’s ideologies concerning education and childhood are evident – there are even a host of ideas for cross-curricular activities at the back of the books that link to each chapter. These activities have been adapted by popular UK educational resource website Twinkl to create a free booklet of ideas and activities to enrich children’s reading of the books.

Throughout the series questions are also raised (albeit in a very subtle, child-friendly way) about the modern-versus-postmodern nature of truth. And at its very heart is the desire to create a story that will hopefully portray the emotional journey of an orphaned and adopted child in a slightly more authentically emotional way that many children’s novels do.