Press Release – Tuesday, October 27, 2026. 2 illustrations provided.
WELLSBORO, PA – Children’s author and independent bookstore owner Kevin Coolidge of Wellsboro has announced the release of “The Totally Ninja Raccoons Meet the Apple Snitch.”
To order a copy, adults can visit locations where they normally buy books online or in-person. “We will have copies of this book in our store in time for Halloween so others can stop in at From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro and pick one up,” Coolidge said.
Autographed copies will also be available at the official release party for “The Totally Ninja Raccoons Meet the Apple Snitch” being held on Saturday, Nov. 14 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the bookstore. Parents, guardians and children are welcome to attend.
“The Totally Ninja Raccoons Meet the Apple Snitch” is the 10th in Coolidge’s popular raccoon adventure series for reluctant readers in the first to the fourth grades. Through the series, the brothers meet folklore legends like Bigfoot, the Weird & Wacky Werewolf, and the Jersey Devil.
This time, the masked brothers are facing off against Albatwitch, another folklore legend, while seamlessly blending laugh-out-loud humor, high-stakes action, and real history.
Set against a crisp, autumn backdrop in Wellsboro, the new book finds raccoon brothers Bandit, Kevin, and Rascal using a local orchard for their annual stealth training mission. However, their plans for peace and apple cider doughnuts are quickly ruined. The devious calico leader Gypsy and her sinister Cat Board have recruited outside help: the Albatwitch, a legendary, fruit-pelting Pennsylvania creature notoriously known as the “Apple Snitch.”
Caught in a rapid-fire barrage of flying fruit and facing a twin surprise in the canopy, the brothers must upgrade their gadgets to deploy the ultimate sticky trap before their training ends in a sugary, caramelized defeat.
“My ultimate goal has always been to build reading confidence by making books feel like a reward rather than a chore,” says Coolidge. “With short chapters, fast-paced action, exactly one illustration per chapter, and a healthy dose of weaponized cat flatulence, we meet reluctant readers right where they are. Bringing in a real-world regional legend like the Albatwitch gives kids a fun piece of local folklore to explore long after they turn the final page.”
The Albatwitch or Apple Snitch is a legendary, small-sized beast from Central Pennsylvania, often described as a 3-to-5-foot-tall, ape-like or humanoid creature. It has been spotted in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster and York counties since the 1800s. The earliest accounts came from picnickers enjoying Chickies Rock, a cliff overlooking the Susquehanna River. They reported that strange, hairy creatures stole their apples then threw the eaten cores back at them.
The Ninja Raccoons series has earned a loyal following among parents, teachers, and young readers for its proven ability to convert reluctant readers into dedicated “Reading Ninjas.”
Coolidge is the author of children’s books, a literacy advocate, and the co-owner of From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro. In addition to The Totally Ninja Raccoons universe – the 10-book adventure series plus “The Totally Ninja Raccoons Joke Book”, Coolidge’s other published works include the companion series “The Cat Board and the Cardboard Caper”, historical picture books like “Rebecca, White House Raccoon”, and several beloved pet-centric titles.
For more information, call the bookstore at 570-724-5793 or email Coolidge at touchofwellness@yahoo.com.
