
A shy boy comes to life and finds his voice when the ghosts of seven dead pirates appear in his bedroom. A humorous, inspiring adventure with poignancy and depth, destined to become a middle-grade classic! Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, "terminally shy" boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis' family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it's already occupied—by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn't left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates—a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks—he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
Author

I was born and grew up in Winnipeg—a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor. For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn't begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction. I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream.
- Source Series: * Stanley * Stevie Diamond Mystery * Good Times Travel Agency Awards: Arthur Ellis Award ◊ Best Juvenile (1997): How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail? ◊ Best Juvenile (2000): How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?