Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman: Neb has run away from home in 1620 and is taken aboard the Flying Duchman as a cook's helper. He is mistreated because he is a mute and locked up each time the ship lands. He finds a half starved Labrador and keeps it under the table away from sight. The Dutchman's captain, Vanderdecken, sails them to Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. The third time they were driven back, Vanderdecken went mad. The light of St. Elmo's fire showed an angel coming down. The ship was swallowed by the ocean and there were only two survivors.
Neb and Den are washed up on the coast and found by a shepherd. They find out that they(Neb and Den) can mindspeak. After three years the angel tells them to leave and find somewhere to help people.
1896. Neb and Den(now Ben and Ned) find Chapelvale and meet the 'owner of Chapelvale and realize that they're here to help the town not to be demolished for cement. They find a clue to Mrs. Winn's ownership, which leads to three more. Finally, on the night of the day before Chapelvale's destruction, they find the deeds. The angel comes to them again and tells them to leave at the sound of a churchbell. That toll sounds and they leave to find somewhere else.

I thought that this book was funny, sad, happy, and made you want to keep reading.
Ned made it funny, it was sad that Ben was treated like that on the Dutchman, happy when they saved Chapelvale, all made it a good book. There's also a picture on each first page of each chapter(in my copy, a hardback from Philomel Books, anyways) that are nice. On the first chapter there's a steering wheel, eighth a dog(Ned?), etc.