Pennies (Blight Harbor)

Pennies (Blight Harbor)

One hundred years prior to the events of The Clackity , four best friends are drawn into a deadly scheme when they set out to investigate the strange disappearances taking place in the eerie town of Blight Harbor in this “compelling and imaginative” ( Kirkus Reviews ) middle grade adventure. It’s June of 1921 and best friends Mae, Lark, Brigid, and Claret have plans for the perfect summer. Between riding their bikes to the enchanted lake and decorating their fort for its resident ghost, the girls are a busy bunch. But when they discover a door in the forest floor that leads to an alternate world with purple skies and fearsome creatures, everything takes a turn for the worse. Someone else has already been through that door, and it’s triggered something incredibly dangerous. Maybe deadly. Back in Blight Harbor, strange disappearances are taking place. The most worrisome being that of Brigid’s cousin, who has been spending an awful lot of time with the unusual and untrustworthy John Jeffrey Pope. As the girls uncover the eerie world that lives right beneath their feet, will they find their missing friend, or will the most treacherous man in Blight Harbor get to them first? * "Senf returns to the world of The Clackity in this imaginative prequel set 100 years prior, telling a story that beautifully balances fantastical and frightening elements with a wonderfully nuanced and heartfelt portrayal of friendship. Alive with atmosphere and character, this creepy, captivating read will appeal to both longtime fans of the established series and newcomers alike." -- Booklist, Starred Review * “[O]utstanding . . . . Fans will be elated to see this extension of the Blight Harbor world, but prior knowledge is not necessary; lucky new readers will likely be excited that there is more to experience from this world." -- BCCB, starred review ― September 2025 "Returning fans will enjoy references to the books, but no prior knowledge is required for new readers to enter this haunted world, which comes to life through Senf’s rich, atmospheric writing. The spooks offer high stakes that are framed in a way that’s appropriate for the target audience. Above all, the sisterhood among the girls is touching and feels believably nuanced, highlighting bonds that only time and trust can forge. Cáceres’ eerie black-and-white illustrations appear throughout, helping to bring scenes to life and matching the tone of the story...A compelling and imaginative bookend to a strong series." -- Kirkus Reviews ― August 2025 Lora Senf is a writer of dark and twisty stories for all ages. She is the author of The Clackity , Bram Stoker Award winner The Nighthouse Keeper , The Loneliest Place , and Pennies . She credits her love of words to her parents and to the public library that was walking distance from her childhood home. Lora finds inspiration for her writing in her children’s retellings of their dreams, on road trips through Montana, and most recently while reminiscing about summer days spent on her bike. She lives in eastern Washington with her husband, their twins, and two remarkably lazy cats. Visit her at LoraSenf.com. Alfredo Cáceres is an author and illustrator from Santiago, Chile. He has worked in picture books, magazines, newspapers, and video games, including the acclaimed Blight Harbor series and New York Times bestseller The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science . His debut graphic novel Through the Black Gate is based on the city of Valdivia, Chile, where he grew up between rain and moss. Visit him on Instagram @RedoLaf. Chapter 1 1 “I found another one,” Lark said, her voice low, even though we were deep enough into the forest next to her family’s property that we couldn’t see her house and far enough away from the closest adult that we could’ve had a shouting match and no one would come running. “Another door?” I asked. It was interesting but not unusual. It certainly wasn’t the kind of thing we had to tell hushed secrets about. Doors popped up in Blight Harbor from time to time. In fact, for both me and Lark, it was the family business: Lark’s papa found them and my daddy covered them up for safety. Every now and again someone new to town—or someone with too much curiosity and not enough sense—got the notion to sneak through one of those doors to explore the world on the other side. I related an awful lot to those curious folks, but the problem was, most of them never made their way back to tell us what they’d discovered. Or what had discovered them. “Yeah, but something else, too. You all need to see it so we can decide what to do.” Lark looked from me to Claret to Brigid, probably trying to size up our appetite for adventure that bright June morning. “Are you going to get us in trouble?” Claret asked, pulling the collar of her cloak up around her pale jaw. It was a reasonable question to ask Lark. Claret was a lot of mostly wonderful things, but she could also be as lev