Suffolk-based children’s author Lisa Thompson from near Hadleigh launches new book The Treasure Hunters at Playground event in Barrow

Youngsters got the chance to meet a children’s author at a book launch event that involved their very own treasure hunt.

Lisa Thompson, a bestselling author who lives in Suffolk near Hadleigh, met with children from Barrow CEVC Primary School and Clare Community Primary School at the Playground, an outdoor obstacle assault course in Barrow, near Bury St Edmunds.

She was launching her new book The Treasure Hunters, described as ‘a twisty mystery, featuring a thrilling, booby-trapped treasure hunt’, suitable for children aged eight to 12.

The event on April 27 saw Lisa talk about her inspirations, before reading from the book and taking some ‘great’ questions from the children.

This was followed by a treasure hunt activity; Lisa read out some riddles and the children had to find 20 objects hidden around the assault course.

Some of the objects included: a pair of socks, a toy shark, a tube of toothpaste and, of course, the new book.

After lots of running around exploring, the children queued up to get their books personally signed by Lisa.

The author said: “It was brilliant to embrace the great outdoors with my new book, The Treasure Hunters. The teams did so well searching for the clues! I think they would make some terrific treasure hunters themselves.”

Clare Community Primary School said on social media that eight of their children from Year 5 had taken part.

It read: “The children had some amazing questions and were incredibly well behaved. It was wonderful to be able to offer such an amazing opportunity.”

Lisa is the bestselling and critically-acclaimed author of enduring modern classic The Goldfish Boy and her books have been shortlisted for many awards.

In The Treasure Hunters, Vincent, who has dyspraxia and finds playing team sports challenging, must use his computer gaming skills to solve the mystery of the buried treasure during an outdoor activity weekend, which is why the Playground was the ‘perfect place’ to hold a treasure hunt for local schoolchildren, said a spokesperson for Scholastic Children’s Books.

Nick Smith, of the Playground, said the event – part of Lisa’s promotion week to launch her new book – was ‘a great success’.

The Treasure Hunters was published by Scholastic on April 13.