Books in Cynthia's Attic series

Colorful pirates, SuRana-- a shape-shifting puma, and an old Cajun guide named Mud Bug join Cynthia and Gus as they explore the Curse of the Bayou. The latest quest for the adventurous, twelve-year-old best friends finds them in a Louisiana bayou. There, they search for answers in the disappearance of Cynthia's great-grandfather, Beau Connor, who was on his way down the Mississippi River to sell a flatboat full of produce. With the help of a magic trunk in Cynthia's attic, this time-traveling duo venture back to 1914 New Orleans. The warm welcome and advice from old friend, Gabriella, is small comfort when Mud Bug warns them to stay away from Buzzard Jack LaBuse, the meanest, orneriest pirate this side of the Mississippi, his gang of misfits, Snags, Darby, and Salty Sam, their thieving parrot mascot. A trip to the Connor's Southern Indiana farm reveals a strange connection between Beau and Buzzard Jack, and a family curse that might be responsible for Cynthia's great-grandfather's disappearance. Returning to New Orleans, a harrowing ride on a roller coaster sends them farther back in time to 1844, straight into the clutches of the evil pirate, fighting for their lives. A mysterious treasure and heart-stopping adventure lead to a final confrontation in the girls' mission to save Great Granddaddy Beau.

Magical costumes, disappearing stairs and a spooky attic filled with dusty antiques what more could two, adventurous, young girls ask for? Best friends, Cynthia and Gus as she prefers to be called, are as 'different as bubble gum and broccoli.' They are, however, equal in their ability to get into trouble without much effort. In trying to escape the boring summer of 1964, the adventurous twelve-year-old girls stumble upon a trunk in Cynthia's attic that has been in her family for three generations. They discover its mystical qualities when they are swept into the trunk and whisked back to 1914, literally into the lives of their twelve-year-old grandmothers, Clara and Bess. The mystery of a missing family locket is revealed. Their quest takes numerous twists and turns, including a life-and-death struggle on a large steamship traveling from England to America. Along with perilous escapades, they make important, sometimes humorous discoveries about their ancestors, and even manage to change history...for the better...along the way.

Sinister clowns, stalkers on horseback, mystical forests, and the creepy, crawling curse. A magic trunk sweeps Cynthia, and best friend, Augusta Lee (Gus), back to 1914 where an ill-fated trip to the circus leads to Blackie, a sinister hobo clown. Before they can be forced by Blackie to become permanent clown troupe performers, the girls are rescued by Gabriella, a Gypsy fortune-teller, and are entangled in the theft of her family's treasure. Much to their dismay, Cynthia and Gus appear to be the family's only hope of recovering a precious magic medallion. Traveling unexpectedly forward to 1934, they meet a 'very familiar-looking' cave guide, and are stalked by a stranger on a black horse. Dangers escalate, as they're swept into an underground river, and later, barely avoid becoming 'campfire marshmallows' in a raging forest fire. Friendship, loyalty, and an undeniable sense of adventure, keep this twosome on a never-ending path of danger, suspense, and merriment.