The Dare Sisters

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. (Sept.)