• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

There are many things that Kent, Ryan, and Amy love about their somewhat eccentric hippie-pirate grandparents; best of all are their wonderful stories about travelling the world in search of hippie-pirate treasure. Central to all their stories is their beloved VW pirate ship bus, the SS Fiona. And now the three children are going to join in on a hippie-pirate adventure, and sail on the Fiona!

Where will they go? Liverpool? Norway? New York? No. Three disappointed children learn their destination is Nova Scotia, their home province. But very quickly Kent, Ryan, and Amy come to realize that there’s a lot more to “their own backyard” than they’d realized, and that the Fiona knows a trick or two as well.

This time-travelling adventure, the first in a planned series, introduces young readers to some unique aspects of Canadian and Nova Scotian history, including the establishment of Birchtown and the plight of Black Loyalists.

Lana Shupe fell in love with books when she was a toddler and has never stopped loving them. Telling and writing stories has always been a part of her life. Her house is full of books — even the bathroom has books! She reads anywhere she can find a spot while devouring potato chips that are entirely not good for her. Lana's best little writing buddy, her Westie, Thunder, was by her side while she wrote this story.

Lana Shupe's profile page

Caroline Clarke is a printmaker, graphic designer and musician. Originally from British Columbia, she has been a vital part of the craft, artistic and music communities of Newfoundland and Labrador for 20 years.

Much of Clarke's printmaking celebrates the traditional music of Newfoundland, and she is regularly commissioned to produce artwork for the annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. For several years she served on the board of the then-St. John's Folk Arts Council, and she was instrumental in organizing the Folk Festival's successful (albeit briefly-held) bid for the Guinness World Record for the most accordion players performing in one place at one time.

The Mystery of the Portugugese Waltzes is her first published children's book project.

Caroline Clarke's profile page

"This novel for young readers features a road trip with a time-travelling twist that will delight its audiences. The hippie pirates are quirky, endearing characters whose curiosity and sense of adventure are infectious."
— Atlantic Books Today Fall 2023