New Releases by Audrey Penn

Set on Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, approaching Halloween festivities find Billy, Daniel, Stephanie, and Mark exhausted from their trip to sea to give their eccentric friend Mrs. Nemmish the pirate burial she insisted on. But now they are trapped in a tunnel, locked in by Zeek, local scoundrel and direct descendent of Israel Hands, who is racing against them to find the hidden treasure. Is the treasure''s location on the map that Zeek took from them, or could it be in the very tunnel where they are tripping over skeletons and struggling to find another way out? Luckily, they have allies - ghostly allies of Blackbeard and Mrs. Nemmish herself, who has been taken on board the ghost ship Queen''s Anne''s Revenge. This rollicking tale magically combines this unruly group of youngsters, Blackbeard''s ghost, secret tunnels, skeletons, hidden treasure, a very mysterious inheritance, the Bermuda Triangle, the Underground Railroad, and a hurricane hitting the Outer Banks in a page-turning delight, full of mystery, laughs, suspense, and adventure. This book also captures much of the essence and rich history of this fascinating location. After 30 years of regular visits to Ocracoke Island, the author has come to know the place and the people, and has enriched this fun tale with real characters, locations, lore, and legends passed down through the generations of residents from the days when Blackbeard had his hideout there. This book is a history lesson of the greatest kind - with the past and the present wonderfully and entertainingly intertwined.

This lyrical, skillfully woven tale recounts a child''s delight in awakening to her heritage. Lavishly illustrated, the book reminds readers how deeply the past and the present are intertwined. Full color.

"Feathers and fur don''t mix!" squawk a pair of ducks when they see Tuesday the Cat licking his chops over a nest of eggs. But when Tuesday sees the eggs in danger from a storm, he takes heroic action, and life-long friendships result in spite of major differences! This heartwarming story was inspired by real events in the author''s own neighborhood, and yes, Tuesday the cat and the now-grown ducks are still the best of friends.

A collection of children''s books on the subject of self-esteem.

No Bones About Driftiss is a fantasy-adventure about a group of urban kids who discover, excavate and mount the bones of a very unusual dinosaur skeleton, and then-with some innovative thinking and backyard technology-move their creation to the local museum. Subtly and vicariously, through the characters and action in the book, No Bones...meets and challenges the imagination of children, provides compliments for a job well done, and confronts personal dilemmas associated with sharing, responsibility, and cooperation. Also woven skillfully into this story are ethical and scientific considerations that recognize fossils as valuable social and scientific resources and identify museums as institutions where such resources can be properly deposited, studies, interpreted, and exhibited. Twenty-seven black-and-white illustrations provide added depth to the characters and actions in the book.

Surprised to see a snowflake in May, Mandi meets the flukes, who control seasonal weather.

Happy Apple takes Christi and her imaginary friends for a ride on a dream to some unusual stars.