• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

Middle-grade adventure sequel to Hackmatack-shortlisted Chasing the Phantom Ship, set on Nova Scotia's Northumberland Shore.

Picture this -- you and your friends are visiting an elderly neighbour when you notice an eerie portrait on the wall. It looks familiar. You lean in for a closer look when a piece of yellowed paper falls to the floor from behind it. Your friend stuffs it into his sweatshirt. It's only later that you realize the paper is a map. A map that possibly leads to treasure! And that eerie portrait? It's none other than the ghost man who saved your two friends from a burning phantom ship last summer!

Map in hand, Emma, Matt, Danny, and Adam set out to follow the clues they hope will lead to treasure. But "forerunners" are everywhere, and many different people seem to be warning the kids to stay away from long-buried secrets. When Emma and Danny decide to strike out on their own, their bravery, friendship, and even their lives will be put at risk. Will their gamble pay off? This action-packed pirate adventure is perfect for reluctant or striving readers, as well as anyone who loves a good old-fashioned yarn.

Deborah Toogood is a retired English-language teacher. Growing up in New Brunswick, she spent her summers on the beach with her brothers. In later years, she enjoyed summers on the Northumberland Shore of Nova Scotia with her two children. Her previous book is Chasing the Phantom Ship. She now spends her summers chasing her grandchildren on the beaches of Nova Scotia's South Shore.

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