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Joan Carris P.O. Box 2294
Kirkus Review describes it well: "A summer vacation novel with everything--dolphins, buried treasure, a pirate's ghost, and a most appealing cast of humans. Carris, who has a sure touch with the supernatural, leaves just enough of the ghostly manifestations unexplained to tweak the imagination."
A new, factual chapter (at the end) describes the ongoing recovery of Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, whose sand-logged remains are only a few miles from my house. I also included some great pirate info, such as: "Why did pirates so often wear black eye patches?" and "Did they take baths?" Aargh! Pirates are strange birds!
"A hilarious slice of life that also teaches the value of cooperation and the joy of being part of a family."
"Very nice, lifelike moments... Involving approximation of how boys on their own might behave."
ISBN: 0-9724391-0-2
Gwen Markham, age 12, appears to be a witchly mistake. Scornful of magic, Gwen has no idea that her newly-adopted cat, Rosetta, is a professional familiar, sent by the Supreme Right High Order of Greymalkins in Wales. Pity Rosetta, whose job is to teach Gwen how to be a good witch--someone whose power can bring about wonderful things. Does magic really exist? Gwen doesn't think so. But Rosetta and the family pooch, Dinki, know better.
"...high-spirted fantasy about twentieth-century witchcraft."
"A warm and humorous family story, tinged with bits of magic."
ISBN: 0-9724391-1-0
I'm smiling because I love my work and because a smile precedes laughter, the healthiest thing we can do. Now, medical evidence abounds that proves the many benefits derived from a "laughing lifestyle." I urge all parents and teachers to look beneath the surface of the more upbeat books for young people. Just because a book makes kids laugh does not mean that it is fluff. A good book has many layers. In When The Boys Ran The House, for instance, we see kids doing a very tough job and doing it well. My readers all comment on that. And in Witch-Cat, readers figure out (along with Gwen) what is really important in life. Figuring out what is important in life is the job of kids. That's why it's so hard to be a kid. I remember. I wasn't particularly good at being a kid. I kept straying out of my neighborhood and talking in class. Two weeks into summer vacation I was bored to tears, literally. If I hadn't become a big-time reader, I'll bet my mother would have run away rather than face another summer with Joan. Fortunately, college came along, then marriage, teaching high school, and a family of two girls and a boy. I'm never bored now. In fact, what with fixing up a new house, fighting the bugs and the heat in our coastal garden, teaching writing at the nearby Duke University Marine Lab, writing commentaries for Public Radio East, and being a mom and grandmom, I am usually on the run. However...I always enjoy speaking to teachers about the trials of teaching writing, and I love talking with kids about books. When kids are laughing as I read a passage from one of my books, I am so full of happiness I think I will pop. Surely no one is luckier than those of us who have spent our lives with books and children and laughter.
My Books A Ghost of a Chance
"A summer vacation novel with everything--dolphins, buried treasure, a pirate's
ghost, and a most appealing cast of humans. Carris, who has a sure touch
with the supernatural, leaves just enough of the ghostly manifestations
unexplained to tweak the imagination."
When The Boys Ran The House
"A hilarious slice of life that also teaches the value of
cooperation and the joy of being part of a family."
Witch-Cat
"...high-spirited fantasy about twentieth-century witchcraft."
"A warm and humorous family story, tinged with magic."
Beware The Ravens, Aunt Morbelia
"Combining gothic overtones, a touch of humor, and a pinch of English culture, this novel is a fine contrast to cookie-cutter horror stories and will appeal to readers seeking 'another scary book.'"
Stolen Bones
"This well-crafted story, nicely seasoned with well-integrated information
on excavating fossils, offers much to admire: a large, well-individualized
cast; the interaction between Alec and his mother; the evolving relationship
between Alec and his grandfather, realistically portrayed; fine suspense
when Alec confronts some suspects; and humor when friend Rina joins in."
Titles available from Recorded Books:
Titles translated into French:
High School textbooks from Peterson's (now Thomson Learning):
Other titles, currently OP:
My Links
North Shore Books
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Welcome! Right up front, some exciting stuff. Please visit my hot new website: 
WELCOME TO THE BED AND BISCUIT is Joan Carris's 19th book. Set at an animal boarding facility out in the country, the story concerns its owner, a retired veterinarian named Adam Bender, and his household pets--punctuated by boarding pets and herds of animals, such as the five llamas in the far pasture. The household pets are the real stars of the story: Ernest, an earnest mini-pig; Gabby, a Vietnamese hill mynah; and Milly, a young marmalade pussycat. When Grampa Bender arrives home after fighting a neighbor's barn fire, he has something in a bundle that he takes up to his bedroom. What's in the bundle, the slim chances of its survival, and his housepets' testy response to it make for a funny, heartwarming story of a blended family. The book's many illustrations are by Noah Z. Jones, whose own sense of humor further enlivens the story. Joan is revoltingly proud of the whole thing and sings the praises of Candlewick Press to all who will listen.
A Ghost of a Chance (Little, Brown '92) is again in print. It is the story of twelve year-old Punch Wagner and his friend Tom, who hunt for Blackbeard's missing treasure while on vacation in Beaufort, NC, where the pirate lived near the end of his notorious career. But in order to hunt, they need the help of a local boy, Skeeter Grace, who is highly scornful of Yankee tourists.
