"Can an island disappear?"

Carrie wonders about the mysterious island that her grandmother plans to take her to on her ninth birthday, a place that is visible only at low tide and the rest of the time remains a secret beneath the waves. When they finally make the trip to the island off the coast of Cape Cod, Carrie is amazed to find that it's nothing more than a flat stretch of beach in the middle of the sea. But as she and her grandmother set out to explore, Carrie discovers many treasures -- a broken brick in the sand, a piece from a lighthouse -- all traces of an island community that is long gone. The greatest treasures of all, though, are her grandmother's stories, which bring the past to life for Carrie -- and help her to appreciate the beauty and power of nature.

Illustrated with watercolors that are as brilliant as a summer day, "The Disappearing Island" captures the joy of sharing a secret place with someone special.