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.

This book was published 1998 by Simon & Schuster .

CORINNE DEMAS is the author of many popular books for adults and children, including Valentine Surprise and Saying Goodbye to Lulu, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and won the ASPCA Henry Bergh award. She is a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College. www. corinnedemas. com R. W. ALLEY has illustrated nearly a hundred books for children, including Valentine Surprise, Tiger Can't Sleep, Cat Skiddoo, and the beloved Paddington series. Ted Lewin is a distinguished American artist who travels the world gathering material for his work. He lives in New York.