Derwood Inc.
by Jeri Massi
Penny Derwood tells the story in this comedy-mystery, which starts when she is on a field trip at a button factory. Penny and her brother Jack stake out a mattress store, which they believe is hiding a smuggling operation. They take a mattress, only to find nothing valuable inside. As a result of being kidnapped, Jack and Penny untangle the mystery of the smuggling operation. The excitement might seem to be over, but it's not. In Part 2, Penny and Jack go to stay with a crusty elderly aunt after their stepmother injures her back. Far away from home, they encounter secret agents, and someone attempts to kidnap Jack. Penny and Jack use a bootlegger's old map to discover the hide-out on Granny's Mountain and release the two hostages. While at Aunt Irene's, Penny and Jack get a glimpse into the struggles of the Prohibition period and the damaging effects of alcoholism on people's lives. Throughout the events of the story, they learn to work together with others. - Publisher.