Cape Cod Witch

Recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award honoring excellence and a 2015-2016 New Book Award winner. When Halloween approaches, a never-quite-forgotten pirate's treasure awakens some serious trouble in the sleepy Cape Cod town. ElsBeth Amelia Thistle, who happens to be the youngest witch on the Cape, and her friend Johnny Twofeathers, chief-to-be of the local Wampanoag tribe - together with a cast of spirited classmates and curious magical creatures (including two troublesome fairies from the old country) - must face off against dangerous outsiders, and the notorious pirate Billy Bowlegs, to restore the balance of past and present, good and evil. Includes nineteen full-color illustrations. Ypulse Book Editor (subsequently with Publishers Weekly): I don't usually do this, but Pirate's Treasure got such rave reviews from my two nephews and my sister I felt I had to pass it on. What makes my nephews' recommendations so remarkable is that they're sort of reluctant readers. One in particular devours comics but mostly 'reads' the illustrations. 'Star Wars' books are their favorites. And hey, anytime two boys jump up and down (literally) and implore me to read something, I listen. My nephew said all of the kids in his third grade class love this book, bar none. My sister said they read it aloud together as a family and she thought it was fabulous, too. Really fabulous, and they all can't wait for the next one. It's like "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" crossed with Sarah Plain and Tall-sort of. Earthy and homemade feeling, the writing and story read like local folklore but with contemporary characters. I can see why it's a hit with younger readers and I, too, liked it a lot. Reading ElsBeth and the Pirate's Treasure made me wonder-what exactly made this work for both the girls and boys in my nephew's posse? Is it the fact that ElsBeth's class share the spotlight and together are the main characters? I wish there were more titles that crossed gender lines. We talk a lot about finding books that boys will like because they are traditionally harder readers to please, but what about books that boys and girls can enjoy together? Maybe books that simply allow girls and boys to share the stage is the answer.

On a field trip to Boston's historic Freedom Trail, ElsBeth and her classmates encounter a famous freedom fighter, the ghostly Captain Thomas Jacques, who spirits them across treacherous waters to Nantucket Island - in the daring rescue attempt of a kidnapped, modern-day Arabian prince. Along the way they find out about fighting for freedom and caring for something bigger than themselves. Readers also discover a treasure chest of historical nuggets and Cape and Islands lore, together with a brief sketch of the authentic pirates featured in Books I and II. Includes twenty-three original color illustrations. Odyssey Reviews: This story is filled to the brim with adventure, plenty of vivid and likable characters (even the cranky teacher, Ms. Finch) and topped with history and important environmental lessons for the young reader. ElsBeth serves as a lovely example of a tenacious and passionate girl, who is able to navigate and overcome some fairly scary adversities to positively help those in need in the end. Finally, illustrator Melanie Therrien has also returned to include her vibrant pictures that add a perfect touch and emphasis to this Cape Cod Witch Series. And if that's not enough to capture a reader's attention, there is real history information and recipes tucked in the back of the book. The treasures in this tale will undoubtedly capture young readers' hearts, as they wonder what will happen next, and should definitely not be passed over.

Recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award honoring excellence, a Moonbeam Children's Book Award, and described by Midwest Book Review as "about as fine a middle school fantasy as you could get." When their ancestral lands in the Scottish Highlands are threatened, three ancient ghosts of the castle need one of their clan from the living world. They call the young Cape Cod witch across the sea. ElsBeth has a personal calling to protect the natural world, and her own need to know more about her family line. With help and hindrance from her classmates who've been swept along, and newfound allies and opponents both magical and not, ElsBeth is drawn deep into the present danger and the mysteries of the old country and her heritage -- well above her magic level. She must find a new measure of herself, and use all she can of the past and the present to make a future for her family and her friends.

ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties is set in the present on Cape Cod and the Scottish Highlands and is the coming-of-age tale of a young witch with a family legacy to protect the natural world. When their ancestral lands in the Highlands are threatened, three ancient ghosts of the castle need one of their clan from the living world. They call the young Cape witch across the sea. ElsBeth has a personal calling to protect the natural world, and her own need to know more about the family line. Drawn deep into the present danger, and into the mysteries of the old country and of her family heritage, she is in well above her magic level. Includes seventeen original color illustrations.