Avalina Jones

Six years after Avalina Jones is orphaned at La Masion de Oublies--the House of the Forgotten--along the banks of the Mississippi River, strange things begin to happen. Avalina discovers she can breathe underwater, and water occasionally follows her around. But when an extraordinary woman arrives in a swirling waterspout, Avalina's life explodes with more adventures than she can possibly imagine. She learns she is the Last Heir of the infamous pirate Davy Jones and is whisked away in a flying dinghy to take her rightful place aboard the Aquatiery, a schoolship for Heirs to the Pirate Kingdom.

The Aquatiery is fueled by Sea Magic and crewed by Half Ones called Octosapiens, Humanta Rays, and Nautiladies. Avalina quickly realizes bizarre and danger are normal aboard Pirate Heir Schoolships-food fights back, school supplies giggle or explode, and not everyone can be trusted. Despite some Heirs fearing Avalina has the dreaded Curse of Davy Jones, she settles into her new life as a Buccaneer, one of the four student decks, and makes friends. As junior Pirate Heirs, Avalina and her new deckmates, Charlie, Pippa, and Bummy, are called pollywogs or 'pogs' and learn their way around the wondrous Aquatiery. Classes are taught by senior Pirate Heir officers and include: Tesoro Cartography, Knotty Cordage, Weaponry, and Hydrofunics. The pogs enjoy trips to Hardtack Harbor (deep in the bowels of the ship) and frequent the Armory Shop with its inventive weapons and confounding gadgets, as well as Podswallow Tavern, home of the delicious colored pods.

When the Aquatiery--one of four schoolships under the protection of the High Fleet--suddenly encounters bad luck in the form of stormy weather, and the quartermaster's beloved pet is murdered, Avalina is b...