From Kara LaReau, New York Times bestselling author of Licorice, comes the hilarious first book in the Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters series, a delightfully offbeat middle-grade adventure filled with pirates, mystery, sisterhood, and high-seas hijinks.
Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. They spend their days darning socks, eating cheese sandwiches, and patiently awaiting the return of their parents, who left on an errand years ago and mysteriously never returned.
Then the unthinkable happens: The Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates and unwillingly swept into a swashbuckling adventure aboard the Jolly Regina. Soon Jaundice and Kale find themselves facing danger, discovering unexpected abilities, and uncovering clues that may help solve the mystery of what happened to their parents.
With whimsical black-and-white illustrations by Jen Hill and Kara LaReau's signature dry wit, The Jolly Regina is a funny, quirky adventure for readers ages 8 to 12 who love clever chapter books, unlikely heroes, and stories in the tradition of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Roald Dahl.
Praise
"LaReau serves her humor dry, adding some serious swashbuckling for good measure...Meanwhile Hill's pen-and-ink cartoons give the book precisely the right strange and silly tone."Kirkus
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"With dry humor and a touch of snark, this first book of a new series is a smart choice for readers who have mastered Bink & Gollie but aren't quite ready for Lemony Snicket."School Library Connection
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"Filled with puns, intrigue, and ample evidence that women make excellent—and ruthless—pirates, it’s a promising introduction to the Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters series."Publishers Weekly
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"Replete with puns, gags, and life lessons, this transgressive voyage may “ketch” fans of envelope pushers like Barry Yourgrau, Alan Katz, or Roald Dahl."Booklist
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"Plenty of references to booty and poop decks make for easy humor, while more subtle comedy comes from the deadpan third-person narration."Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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