For Immediate Release
February 28, 2005

Presbyterian School Students Search for Million Dollar Treasure!

Presbyterian School students learn that fiction can sometimes be reality!  Fifth grade students had the opportunity to meet author, Michael Stadther, who recently wrote and illustrated, A Treasure’s Trove, a fairy tale which includes clues to finding real hidden treasure!  A Treasure’s Trove is a beautifully illustrated fairy tale suitable for parents and children of all ages about family values, love and cooperation, loyalty and friendship.  In addition to the story of A Treasure’s Trove, Stadther’s book gives clues to the location of a dozen 18K gold tokens around the United States which are redeemable for one of twelve jewels, worth over a million dollars all together.  For many students the incentive to read was never more thrilling than this!  Presbyterian School students are now on the hunt for unclaimed treasure!

Michael Stadther has been thinking about treasure hunts since he was a boy, digging holes in his grandmother's yard looking for buried treasure. As a teen he read Kit Williams’ Masquerade and dreamed that one day, he too, would write a story and hide a treasure.  Now as an adult, Michael Stadther has made his own treasure hunt.  In creating his book, A Treasure’s Trove, Stadther wanted children and adults to think like a treasure hunter and to learn to look for things they wouldn’t ordinarily notice.  Thus to find clues about his hidden treasure, readers must examine his book carefully because many clues are either well-woven into the book's text and illustrations or disguised in optical illusions.

The twelve gold tokens are hidden in separate places and located so that at least one is within a day's drive of anyone in the continental USA.  Once found, the gold tokens may be redeemed for one of twelve jewels, which are exceptional, one-of-a-kind pieces made of rare and precious gemstones including Kashmir sapphires, Burmese rubies, large and small diamonds, garnets, amethysts, pearls and tanzanite.  These exceptional jewels were modeled after the twelve forest creatures in A Treasure's Trove.  Among the few helpful hints Stadther shared with PresbyterianSchool about the location of his gold tokens, he said, “The tokens are not hidden on private property,orin dangerous places, but in places accessible to everyone. The tokens are not buried. Nothing has to be moved or lifted to find them.”  For more information on Stadther’s book and hidden treasure, go to www.atreasurestrove.com.