The Dare Sisters

July 15, 2020
The hunt for a legendary treasure begins. Savannah Dare, age 11, always loved listening to her Grandpa tell stories about the history of their small community on Ocracoke Island. Located off the North Carolina coast, it was the past haunt of several pirates, most notably the infamous Blackbeard. Grandpa's recent death has definitely left a hole in her and her family's lives. Sav cherishes all the artifacts around their house from Grandpa's treasure-hunting days. However, lingering expenses mean the family will likely have to sell everything, including the house, something Sav staunchly refuses to accept. Besides, she's got a plan: Their grandpa left Sav and her two sisters, 13-year-old Frankie and 6-year-old Jolene, a treasure map and other clues to find what might be Blackbeard's long-lost treasure hoard. In true adventure/detective form, the sisters work to break codes, try to contact Blackbeard's spirit, and consult Grandpa's notebooks, all while avoiding a shady man who keeps popping up around town. The story incorporates real-world pirate history, and, with its 1996 setting, the girls' research is done without the assistance of the internet. As the main protagonist, Sav struggles with paying attention at school, doesn't have much of a filter to temper her passionate feelings, and her grief makes it all even harder. This treasure-hunt chronicle will pique the curiosity of young explorers. All characters are White by default. Ahoy, me hearties! (pirate glossary, author's note) (Fiction. 8-13)

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August 24, 2020
With a clear love for the area and its rich history, Rinker’s debut middle grade adventure draws readers into the lore of Ocracoke Island, N.C., and the lives of three sisters searching for Blackbeard’s lost treasure in the fall of 1996. Savannah “Savvy” Mae Dare, 11, is the middle child; athletic, popular Frankie is 13; and “beauty queen” Jolene is six. Savvy may be the ringleader of their adventures and the sibling most like their storytelling paternal grandfather, but all of the girls have been raised on his passion for treasure hunting and perseverance. After his death, they find themselves drawn into one last Grandpa-inspired series of puzzles—only this time with much higher stakes. To save their beloved house, the Queen Mary, and thwart the man trying to claim their inheritance, the sisters must think like pirates and try to discern who among their family and friends is trustworthy. The plot skews uneven, and lessons on loss and anger tend to be muddled, but the Dare sisters’ strong bonds are a definite highlight in this voice-driven book that will spark readers’ imaginations. Ages 8–12. Agent: Linda Epstein, Emerald City Literary.