Francene and the Mussel Fairy

Book excerpt: Life is about change, but for Francene, change was almost insuperable. After the loss of her best friend, her mother, Francene struggled to find purpose and direction. The thoughts of her difficulties in school and her inability to read at her grade level were a continual embarrassment only offset by certain skill sets.The constant in Francene's life was change. Being alone was temporary. A glistening pearl and a small displaced boy would soon offer camaraderie, adventure, and mysteries of the past.When prospects of a frog hunt are preceded by legendary tales of Miguel Vasquez the glassblower and the absence of Francene's father, the wheels are set in motion for an adventure.Inspiration strikes when Francene inadvertently finds the Vasquez treasure glowing in the mud of Boggs Pond. When frogs talk, something has gone astray, especially when the specter of the "Most Serene Highness" "Captain General" Santa Anna appears. He is angry. The week of San Jacinto Day in the classroom is truly a learning experience. Celebrating Texas independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto was not Santa Anna's shining moment. He was not impervious to the Texans' heated vengeance and shouts of "Remember the alamo. Remember Goliad."What do a displaced boy, a mussel fairy, a glassblower, a cook, a kidnapped explorer, and a scientist have in common? Rosita's Wrath--an epic plan with an assist from the specter of Santa Anna. After a purported, phenomenal Saint Elmo's fire guides the Vasquez treasure to the depths of the Gulf via an electrical storm, the treasure resurfaces twice.When "whispers from the wind" reach the parrot woman, the epic plan and "the day of the animals" begin marking the end of a "well-known secret"--sort of.