Back in print A longtime favorite of several generations of Tar Heels, Taffy of Torpedo Junction is the thrilling adventure story of thirteen-year-old Taffy Willis, who, with the help of her pony and dog, exposes a ring of Nazi spies operating from a secluded house on Hatteras Island, North Carolina, during World War II. For readers of all ages, the book brings to life the dramatic wartime events on the Outer Banks, where German U-boats turned an area around Cape Hatteras into 'Torpedo Junction' by sinking more than sixty American vessels in just a six-month period in 1942. Taffy has been enjoyed by young and old alike since it was first published in 1957. “The best piece of children’s literature ever produced in this state.”—Dennis Rogers, News & Observer “Wechter’s tale of Taffy and her American heroism pays tribute and honor to the people who lived at 'Torpedo Junction.'”— Carolina Country “For more than 50 years, Tar Heels of all ages have enjoyed reading Nell Wise Wechter’s Taffy of Torpedo Junction . . . . [A] thrilling adventure.”— Coastwatch “Brings dramatic events to life.”— Carolina Country “The history and the sense of place that Nell Wise Wechter conveys in the novel makes it not only an exciting story for youngsters but an interesting one for adults also.”— Island Breeze The best piece of children's literature ever produced in this state."—Dennis Rogers, News & Observer For more than 50 years, a favorite across generations of Tar Heels. Here is a thrilling adventure story about life on North Carolina's Outer Banks during World War II. Thirteen-year-old Taffy Wills is an independent and high-spirited girl who lives with her grandfather on Hatteras Island. With her Banks pony, Sailor, and her boxer puppy, Brandy, she roams the island and finds a mystery to solve. What's going on at the old house in Buxton Woods? Why are the people who live in it so unfriendly and secretive? And what is that eerie light just offshore? What Taffy discovers is a ring of Nazi spies, and it is up to her to help the Coast Guard capture them. Partly based on a true story, the book is a tribute to the courage of the people who lived near "Torpedo Junction", a real place just off Cape Hatteras where German U-boats sank more than sixty American ships in just six months in 1942. The late Nell Wise Wechter, an Outer Banks native, was a widely admired author, storyteller, historian, and journalist. As a schoolteacher near Cape Hatteras during World War II, she could look out her classroom window to see ships being sunk by the Germans. Her story of Taffy was inspired by these real events and the courage of the people who lived through them. Her other books include Swamp Girl , Betsy Dowdy’s Ride , and Teach’s Light . Bland Simpson is Kenan Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also pianist for the Red Clay Ramblers, the Tony Award-winning string band, and has collaborated on such musicals as Diamond Studs , Fool Moon , Kudzu , and King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running . In 2005 he was the Fine Arts recipient of the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor.