The Day the Pirates Went Mad
The
Day the Pirates Went Mad
By Trevor Atkins
Silverpath Publishing, 2021, ISBN 978-1989459027, $11.95
Also available in e-book format
When Emma Sharpe's parents end up in
debtors' prison, she's sent to a London orphanage.
Labeled a troublemaker, she befriends a sailor whose
stories fill her with dreams of adventure and faraway
places. She learns that the New Adventure is
making ready to depart, so she stows away aboard the
vessel.
Hunger drives her to the galley, where the cook takes
her to the captain. Seeing something of himself in
eleven-year-old Emma, he offers her a choice: work for
her passage and join the crew or disembark at their
next port of call. Before long, Emma thrives at sea,
first as a powder monkey and then an able seaman. By
1702, when circumstances permit, she sends home money
to pay down her parents' debt.
New Adventure is not a typical merchant ship.
Her blended crew of men, women, and children share in
the profits garnered from each voyage. They also do a
bit of smuggling and privateering, but never pirating.
They form a cohesive unit until Emma stumbles across
the sole survivor of a derelict, treasure-laden pirate
ship.
Initially, the story unfolds with brief segments of
the present interwoven with flashbacks of backstory.
Action takes center stage later, especially once Emma
happens upon the dying pirate. Geared toward tween
readers, this Emma Sharpe Adventure is a story of
modern inclusivity set in the past. This isn't
historically correct, but it allows readers to better
identify with the characters, each of whom has a
particular strength. The piratical elements are true
to history, and the author includes a glossary and
website where teaching resources can be found. The
Day the Pirates Went Mad is a good introduction
to life at sea and is written in a manner that makes
the Age of Sail more interesting to today's young
readers.
Review Copyrighted ©2021 Cindy
Vallar
Originally reviewed for Historical Novels
Review
Tell No Tales: Pirates of the
Southern Seas
By Sam Maggs and Kendra Wells
Amulet Books, 2021, ISBN
978-1-4197-3966-8, US $21.99 / CAN $27.99 / UK £15.99
While plundering the
Caribbean, La Sirene barely escapes an
encounter with a fearsome machine that navigates the
sea belching black smoke. Captain Anne Bonny and her
crew – Mary Read (the quartermaster and Anne’s
current lover), Kati (gunner and Miskitu refugee),
Mimba (navigator and maroon), and Sarah (healer and
rich girl of mixed parentage) – refuse to allow this
newcomer to thwart their pillaging. They sight a
Spanish galleon, but before they can attack, the
monstrous steamship reappears. When Mary catches a
glimpse of its captain, she warns Anne to flee. They
seek the safety of the galleon, even though the
Spanish don’t take kindly to pirates.
Knowing La Sirene
is no match for this new enemy that seems to be
stalking them, Anne sets sail for Jamaica. Once on
the island, Mary reveals what she knows – the man
targeting them is the ghost of Woodes Rogers, a man
who made a pact with the devil. This revelation is
confirmed when Calico Jack Rackham, Anne’s former
lover whom they meet at a Jamaican tavern, reveals
that pirates are vanishing in large numbers.
Never one to turn tail and
run, Anne is determined to put an end to this new
enemy. But how? A vision reveals there is a way, but
to succeed the Sirens must display bravery, cunning,
conviction, strength, and kindness. Of course,
nothing is as simple as it seems and the best laid
plans always go awry, as Anne and her Sirens soon
discover.
Set in the Caribbean in
1715, this graphic novel is loosely based on history
and, if readers can suspend disbelief, an intriguing
divergence from the normal Anne Bonny-Mary Read
story. The drawbacks here as regards Woodes Rogers
as the villain are that he is very much alive in
1715 – he doesn’t die until 1732 – and has returned
to London from a voyage to Madagascar, rather than
being in the Caribbean. Another negative element to
the story is that it glorifies piracy to some
degree. There are also a few confusing situations
where readers have to infer what transpires.
Before the members of the
crew are introduced, it’s difficult to determine
whether the graphics portray females or males, and
that may be the intent since Maggs and Wells “wanted
to reclaim some of our lost history – the history of
women and non-binary and queer folks that must have
existed, but has been hidden or kept quiet.” (157)
Therein lies the value of this retelling. This is
the story of individuals who are marginalized and/or
shunned by society. They want acceptance for who
they are, rather than what society wants them to be.
Review Copyrighted ©2021 Cindy Vallar
Escape Game: Pirates
By Eric
Nieudan
Illustrated by
Margot Briquet
Schiffer Kids, 2020, ISBN
978-0-7643-6008-4, US $16.99
You awake to find
yourself all alone on a ship in the middle of the
sea. You have no memory of what happened. Where is
the captain? What became of your mates?
That is the premise of
this combination adventure, mystery, puzzle book.
Written for pirate apprentices between the ages of
eight and twelve, it’s up to you to unravel clues,
decipher secret messages, and wend your way
through the ship to gather the information you
need to answer those questions.
This book actually
consists of two volumes, one bound inside the
other. The main book contains the puzzles and
pictures, as well as several pages of answers,
while the clue book contains objects and
information needed during the course of this
adventure. The main book also contains several
pages for note-taking and list-making.
While the idea for this
book is tantalizing, the translation doesn’t
always work. According to the instructions at the
beginning of the book, you are alone on the ship.
This is a fallacy, because there are others
aboard. The fact that one may be a traitor is
downplayed, rather than emphasized, which made me
wonder why this was important to the story.
Checkmarks throughout the book are supposed to
alert readers that these objects are important,
but I only found one such marking and by the time
I did, I’d forgotten what the purpose of the
checkmark was. The page numbers are so small that
they are difficult to read. Although the artwork
is great and fits the mood of the story, the
subdued coloring makes it difficult to find
essential items. For example, the trap doors at
the end of one maze are barely visible. Another
problem is that some numbers hidden in the page
illustrations are brown on brown or black on
black, which makes them difficult or impossible to
locate. (If you’re wondering, I have 20/20 vision
and was sitting directly under a bright light and
still haven’t found one or two of the numbers.)
Assumptions are also made that readers will know
what a particular item is, such as in the pantry
where the food and other items are strewn about,
or that they understand foreign words, for one
puzzle uses a French number rather than its
English equivalent. A few clues were so cryptic or
lacking sufficient detail, I couldn’t solve them
and there is at least one place where the stated
solution on the answer pages can’t possibly be
correct because the number of letters in the clue
and the answer don’t match.
If children enjoy this
book, they may be disappointed that its format
really only allows them to solve the mystery once.
Another format, such as a spiral-bound or
loose-leaf book with laminated pages, might have
allowed them to erase their answers and solve the
mystery again and again. Another reason the format
is an issue is that some text and illustrations on
the double-page spreads are lost in the book’s
binding. For example, where one maze crosses the
center between one page and the next, there’s no
way to tell if the path through the maze is open
or blocked.
One final caution to
consider is how adept pirate apprentices are at
unraveling puzzles. If they are easily frustrated
or have short attention spans, this book may not
be a treasure they will enjoy.
Akin to role playing
games, for which the author is a specialist, this
book requires readers to explore, investigate, and
maneuver not only the ship and the sea, but also
the intricate details of the illustrations. A
sharp mind and excellent eyesight are essential,
and while the instructions don’t mention the need
for a magnifying glass and good lighting, some
pirate apprentices may find these as essential as
the compass and other tools found on a ship.
In spite of these issues,
I enjoyed the majority of the book. The puzzles
and mazes are fun and somewhat challenging. It is
a book that most pirate apprentices will not
complete in a single sitting, which is why those
blank pages are a good inclusion so you don’t
forget what you’ve found once you’re able to
return to the mystery. Although aimed at pirate
apprentices, full-fledged adult pirates who like
puzzles will find challenges and have fun
deciphering and unraveling these.
Swashbuckling Scoundrels:
Pirates in Fact and Fiction
By Arie Kaplan
Twenty-first Century Books,
2015, ISBN 978-1-4677-5252-7, $33.32
e-book ISBN
978-1-4677-5253-4, $50.65
Written for ages ten to
eighteen, this seventy-two-page book explores
real-life pirates and compares them to their
fictional counterparts in literature and pop
culture. Kaplan opens with the 1696 account of
Henry Avery’s audacious trade of the
treasure-laden Ganj-i-Sawa’i
with the governor of the Bahamas, but Swashbuckling
Pirates explores the history of pirates from
ancient times to the present.
The book is divided into
an introduction (“Of Fools and Freebooters”) and
four chapters. “Scourge of the Seas” presents the
early history of pirates around the world from the
earliest known pirates, the Sea Peoples of the
Mediterranean (circa 1200 BCE), to the wakō of
eastern Asia (1200s to mid 1500s). “The Golden Age
of Piracy” begins with an explanation of legal
piracy and European exploration of the New World
in the sixteenth century. Kaplan briefly mentions
Sea Dog Sir Francis Drake and the buccaneers,
before focusing on Captain William Kidd, pirate
life after the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701-1714), slaves, and black pirates. Particular
emphasis is given to Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and
Mary Read. “From Sabers to Rocket Launchers” looks
at piracy after the Golden Age. It covers the
Barbary pirates, Cheng I Sao, a Great Lakes
pirate, Somali piracy, and the current resurgence
of piracy in Asian waters. The final chapter (“Pop
Culture Pirates”) explores pirate imagery in our
daily lives and the evolution of piratical
portrayals in books, movies, and television from
1713 to today. It concludes with a brief
discussion of how society romanticizes these
criminals.
In addition to the
narrative, the book is filled with captioned
pictures (artistic portrayals of pirates, maps,
and artifacts in B&W and color) and the
piratical theme is carried through from the first
page to last. Parchment-like boxes spread
throughout the book provide historical tidbits,
such as William Fly’s execution, pirate queen
Grace O’Malley, digital piracy, and the comic
strip Terry and the Pirates. Period quotes are
also highlighted in red lettering. The book
includes source notes, a glossary, a selected
bibliography, a list of books, websites, and films
where readers can go for further information, and
an index.
This book is easy to read
and the narrative flows from one section to the
next. It is a fair portrayal of factual and
fictional piracy, and Kaplan makes a clear
distinction between the “noble, heroic, lovable,
even comic” pirate of fiction and the “dangerous
and sometimes bloodthirsty” pirates throughout
history. The material is current and includes
mention of recent news items and films, including
Captain
Phillips, as well as the forthcoming release
in 2017 of the next installment of The Pirates of
the Caribbean series. What is surprising is the
short-shrift given to the buccaneers, and no
mention is made of Sir Henry Morgan, who is often
called the greatest of these. Some of the text
used in the world map (pages 12-13) isn’t very
legible in the e-book version. Also, some picture
placement is questionable. For example, instead of
placing the painting of Stephen Decatur fighting
the Barbary pirates in the section on the Barbary
Wars, it’s placed in the middle of the text on
Cheng I Sao. The screenshot of Tom Hanks in Captain
Phillips appears in the middle of the
section dealing with television pirates, rather
than with the section discussing the movie itself.
The inclusion of a summary might have helped to
make the ending seem less abrupt.
The price of this book
may put it out of the reach of many young adults.
The steep e-book price is actually a multi-user
license intended for use in educational settings.
Amazon does offer a $16.99 version of the e-book,
but it’s only formatted for use on Kindles. Swashbuckling
Scoundrel makes a highly recommended and
worthy resource for any school or public library
where the library binding will make the hardcover
stand up to years of use.
Review Copyrighted ©2015 Cindy
Vallar
Ripley's Pirates Believe It or
Not!
Ripley’s Pirates
Believe It or Not!
By Camilla de la Bedoyere
Illustrated by John Graziano
Ripley Publishing, 2015, ISBN
978-1-60991-139-3, US $12.95 / CAN $14.95
Within the pages of this
book young pirates can learn all kinds of facts
about piracy. Colorful double-page spreads cover a
wide array of topics from famous pirates throughout
history and around the world to how to be a scurvy
dog and life aboard a pirate ship.
The opening pages explain
what readers will find inside the book. First,
there’s a table of contents followed by explanations
of what to look for. Each entry contains a brief
explanation, then young pirates can explore the
various circles, inkblots, rectangles, and diagrams
that contain more information.
Big Word Alerts identify
important words and their definitions.
Ripley’s Believe It or
Not! messages alert readers to amazing facts,
feats, and other “wow!” items. (My favorites are
the pirate ship sculpture that is smaller than the
eye of a needle, the Floridian who built a home
theater that looks like the inside of a pirate
ship, and the father who waved his teenage soon
off to school each morning wearing a costume, over
170 of them in all.)
Key Facts provide
pertinent information about what’s pictured.
Twist It! columns
highlight unbelievable facts about pirates.
Lingo scrolls give
examples of words to use on International Talk
Like a Pirate Day. (There are also suggestions for
creating your own pirate outfit.)
Ripley Explains . . .
boxes include pertinent information from pirate
experts.
The book also includes a
pirate newspaper with a few pirate facts, but mostly
tongue-in-cheek advertisements.
There are some questionable
choices included in the book. The Golden Age of
Pirates pages include a square-rigged ship with
three masts even though the label says that many
pirates sailed sloops, which are much smaller
vessels with fore-and-aft sails. Why the Mary Celeste
is pictures is puzzling since pirates have never
been connected to the merchant ship whose crew
disappeared. The fact that sailors sometimes
referred to casks of rum as “Nelson’s blood” would
only have occurred after 1805 when Admiral Nelson
was killed during the Battle of Trafalgar, long
after the Golden Age of Pirates.
There are a few errors,
too. Fiibustier
should be spelled flibustier.
Henry Morgan was the lieutenant-governor rather than
the governor of Jamaica. A frigate carried, at most,
fifty guns instead of the ninety guns mentioned
under “Types of Sailing Ships.” Rather than being
placed in bird-like cages while alive, captured
pirates were placed in iron cages after they were
dead and these were made to fit their corpses.
Ripley’s Pirates is part of the Twist
series, because sometimes readers have to twist the
book around to read some of the information.
Overall, this hardback book is a treasure trove of
trivia and facts about pirates from ancient times to
present day. Young pirates aged seven to eleven will
enjoy exploring all the pages.
Review
Copyrighted ©2015 Cindy Vallar
Privateer's
Apprentice
Privateer’s
Apprentice
By Susan Verrico
Peachtree, 2012, ISBN 978-1-56145-633-8, $15.99
The unexpected deaths of
his mother and father turn young Jameson Martin
Cooper’s life upside down. He’s swindled out of the
print shop where he expected to step into his
father’s shoes, then he’s turned out on the street
with nowhere to go. When a baker accuses him of
stealing, Jameson ends up on the auction block to
serve out his sentence as an indentured servant.
Sent on an errand by his new master, he is waylaid
by a scurvy fellow who knocks him out. When he
awakens, he is no longer in Charles Towne. He’s
aboard a ship belonging to the notorious Attack
Jack, a privateer captain on a secret mission for
Queen Anne. With Jameson’s knowledge of the printing
trade, the captain can complete his assignment. But
not everyone aboard the vessel is happy with Jameson
joining the crew. Nor are the Spanish thrilled with
Attack Jack sailing in their waters. Then there’s a
little matter about the legality of his letter of
marque.
Set in what is now
Charleston, South Carolina and on the high seas, Privateer’s Apprentice is a
first-person account of Jameson’s adventures aboard
the privateer. I was
intrigued with the author giving him an important
skill that’s often overlooked in tales of pirates
and privateers – map making. The minor characters,
however, are a bit stereotypical, and the tale never
quite reaches the level of excitement and suspense
middle readers might expect. Those children seeking
a less audacious escapade than can be found in books
like the Jacky Faber series, or those who want a
quick read that permits them to flee the modern
world, may enjoy this book.
Rootbeer Beard
Rootbeer Beard: A Pirate’s Story
Stephen Butterman
Bellissima Publishing, 2012,
ISBN 978-1-61477-055-8, $8.95
Dolly and Roger Mercer
happily await the arrival of their baby daughter,
Mersadece. Until Dr. Storkenstein arrives with news
that old, reliable Stan the Stork accidently
delivered their baby to the Jolly
Dodger, a pirate ship “captained by the mean
and fearless Captain Weirdbeard.” (9) The Mercers
refuse to give up on their little girl and vow to
travel all the seas until they find her.
Meanwhile on the Jolly Dodger, Eagle-Eye Ed is the
first to spot the baby. Stewey the cook quickly
whisks her below before Captain Weirdbeard finds
her. Soon she has most of the pirates at her beck
and call, and she displays a particular knack at
doing a required pirate skill – plundering Captain
Weirdbeard’s hoard of rum and root beer. She so
loves the soda that she develops a beard from its
froth, which earns her the name of “Rootbeer Beard.”
But one pirate, Mopsy isn’t
enamored with Rootbeer Beard because he’s relegated
to cleaning up all of her messes. While Mopsy
connives to get rid of her, Captain Weirdbeard
discovers a shortage in his private stash and he
intends to punish the guilty culprit!
Rootbeer
Beard is
a chapter book for young pirates or for adults to
read aloud to them. It’s filled with humor and
adventure, as well as unexpected twists and turns.
Although a copy-editor with sight as keen as
Eagle-Eye Ed would have been advisable, this
charming pirate tale about two special types of
families is great fun and a delight to share.
Jean Laffite
Jean Laffite: The Pirate Who Saved
America
Susan Goldman Rubin
Illustrated by Jeff Himmelman
Abrams Books for Young
Readers, 2012, ISBN 978-0-8109-9733-2, US$18.95 / CAN$21.95
/ £11.99
Growing up in
Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Jean Laffite dreams of
becoming a pirate. His grandmother, however, frowns
on such ideas, preferring he and his brother,
Pierre, study and help others through writing. She
also tells them stories about how Spain persecuted
the family because of their Jewish faith. Once the
boys turn eighteen, they join their older brother,
Alexander, on his privateering voyages. Thus begins
the story of the gentleman pirate who would one day
help General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans
against the British.
This isn’t a complete
retelling of Laffite’s life, for it ends with his
pardon from President Madison in 1815. Rubin
includes a lengthy author’s note that discusses what
came after that time. She includes a bibliography of
books and articles, most of which are geared toward
adults, but a few are marked as being of interest to
older children. She also lists several places to
visit to learn more, although Grand Terre does
require special permission to visit, a fact she
fails to mention. An short index provides easy
access to key points in the book, which is
forty-seven pages in length.
The fabulous artwork brings
the story to life and the artist’s rendering of
Laffite bears a close resemblance to the image most
people recognize of him. Of particular interest is a
paragraph on the final page of the book that
explains how Himmelman creates is his paintings.
All in all, this is an
appealing volume on Jean Laffite that is written for
children. The biggest problem with narrative,
however, is that it’s presented as biography, which
means what it contains is factual. In reality, at
least part of it is legend and unverifiable
information. There is no evidence that Laffite or
his family were Jewish and it is unlikely that
Alexander, more commonly known as Dominique You, was
his brother. One of the sources Rubin consulted was
The Journal of Jean Laffite, which
was not actually written by him even though it is
attributed to him. While Jean Laffite,
Gentleman Rover was written by a respected
historian, Stanley Clisby Arthur used that and other
documentary evidence that cannot be authenticated.
For pirate apprentices who
want to read a story about Jean Laffite, this book
does a good job. If, however, a biography is sought,
I recommend looking elsewhere.
Teaching
and
Discussion Guide
Visit
the
author
Review
Copyrighted ©2012 Cindy Vallar
The
Curse of Captain LaFoote
The Curse of
Captain LaFoote
By Eddie Jones
Port Yonder Press, 2011, ISBN
9781935600046, US$9.95 / CAN $12.95
Also available as an e-book
An awkward ninth grader who
dreams of being captain of a sailing ship, Ricky
Bradshaw spends Christmas Eve alone. Mom, a trucker,
must haul a load to Memphis. Since the pizza
delivery guy always goes to the wrong building,
Ricky waits outside for him. Suddenly sirens fill
the air and fire engines and police cars drive into
the parking lot. His apartment building is on fire!
Unable to return home, Ricky climbs aboard the
replica of a three-hundred-year-old sailing vessel
docked nearby. A mutt named Barnacle steals his
pizza, but soon ends up in the river. When Ricky
tries to save the dog, he suffers an epileptic
seizure. After he awakens, he assumes Paco, a
fisherman, rescued him until he realizes something
is amiss. He’s in the Caribbean instead of the
Chesapeake Bay, the year is 1700, his father is
alive, and a pirate ship is fast approaching.
Ricky soon finds himself
amid the pirates on their ship. When Captain LaFoote
threatens to toss Barnacle overboard, Ricky offers
his life for the dog’s. Just as he’s about to meet
his fate, a prize is sighted and the pirates prepare
for battle. During this reprieve, Ricky makes the
acquaintance of the ship’s doctor and his assistant,
Beckwith. He soon discovers that the lad isn’t a lad
at all. Beckwith is actually Rebecca and she’s on
her way to visit her uncle, the governor of one of
the Caribbean islands. To get there, she must escape
from the pirate ship and enlists Ricky’s help to do
so. While the pirates try to evade the trap the
merchant ship lured them into, Ricky, Rebecca, and
Barnacle escape from LaFoote. But no sooner do they
escape one enemy, but they find themselves
surrounded by new ones. Once LaFoote discovers the
secret Barnacle hides, he and his men are also on
their trail.
This enticing, fast-paced
adventure has more twists and turns than a roller
coaster, but it’s not without some violence both in
the present and the past. Ricky is a likable
character that many teens will identify with,
although after he slips back in time, it’s unclear
whether the dreamlike transitions from one place to
another are because of his epilepsy or an ability to
move through time. If the latter, his epilepsy seems
to disappear once he’s with the pirates.
This is the first volume in
the Caribbean Chronicles trilogy, and the author
does a fabulous job of bringing the beauty and the
danger of the islands to life and intricately
weaving pirate lore into the story. Since Ricky has
epilepsy, a few “pieces of eight” will be donated
from the sale of each book to the Epilepsy
Foundation. Although written for boys, other fans of
pirate adventures will also enjoy the journey.
Review Copyrighted ©2012 Cindy Vallar
The Big Book of Pirates
The Big
Book of Pirates
By Joan and Albert Vinyoli
Sterling, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4027-8056-1, US $12.95 / CAN
$14.95
Originally
published in Spain, this translation is a collection
of eleven abridged pirate stories and two poems
adapted for young pirates and pirate apprentices. It
contains authors well known to English-speaking
audiences – Lord Byron, Joseph Conrad, Howard Pyle,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Daniel Defoe – as well
as several authors from other parts of the word –
José de Espronceda, Emilio Salgari, and Soledad
Acosta de Samper – and two less familiar authors,
William Hope Hodgson of England and W. Clark Russell
of the United States. The tales included are:
- “The
Corsair”
- “La
Cancion del Pirata” (The Song of the Pirate)
- The
Rover
- The
Black Corsair
- The
Queen of the Caribbean
- The
Vengeance of a Helmsman
- Blackbeard
- The
Blighting of Sharkey
- The
Ghost Pirates
- Captain
Singleton
- Pirates
of the Spanish Caribbean
- Captain
Scarfield
- The
Frozen Pirate
The book
also includes a glossary of ship terms, types of
boats, and crew; a gallery of pirates; and author
biographies.
The cover incorporates a cut-out in the image of a
treasure chest viewed from the side that exposes the
first of Xosé Tomás’s dark and brooding
illustrations. These add an element of realism to
the stories. A few of the tales lack the excitement
one might expect, but the uniqueness of the
collection allows readers to overlook this and savor
the yarns, many of which are rarely found in
collections for English-speaking pirates. My
favorites, which include unexpected twists, are
Conrad’s The Rover, Salgari’s The Black Corsair, Doyle’s The Blighting of Sharkey, and Pyle’s
Captain Scarfield. Do you dare to
step inside?
Review
Copyrighted ©2011 Cindy Vallar
Terra
Vonnel & the Skulls of Aries
Terra
Vonnel & the Skulls of Aries
By D. C. Akers
Vanquisher Publishing,
2010, ISBN 9780984587100, $8.95
When
Terra Vonnel was five years old, someone murdered
her mother. Her father has diligently searched for
the Skulls of Aries so he can time travel into the
past to prevent his wife’s death. Two years ago he
fell ill, and ever since Terra has taken over his
search. She’s already retrieved the first Skull of
Aries, but Count Dragos, a vampire with special
skills, and his fellow vampire pirates, have stolen
the second one. Terra and her fellow mates,
including the Sea Ghouls (phantoms who man the oars
of her galley, the Aspen), track
them down and after a heated battle that requires
brains as well as brawn, she succeeds in acquiring
the skull. Having both objects and uncovering their
secrets is but the next step in achieving her goal.
There’s still a host of creatures and challenges to
tackle, and each proves deadlier than the last. How
much will Terra, her pirates, and the Sea Ghouls
sacrifice to recover the device that will allow her
to carry out her father’s wishes?
Aimed at young teenagers, Terra Vonnel
& the Skull of Aries is a fast-paced
adventure filled with elements of horror and fantasy
without being too graphic in the violence. A few
word choices may confuse readers (bellowing clouds
for billowing clouds or incitation for incantation),
but these are minor points. The book is intended to
be the first in a series, so some readers may be a
bit disappointed in the story’s ending. Others will
eagerly await the next chapter in Terra’s quest.
Special Note: As of
November 13th the author and publisher have corrected
the confusing word choices.
Review
Copyrighted ©2010 Cindy Vallar
Scratch Kitten on the Pirate's
Shoulder
Scratch
Kitten on the Pirate’s Shoulder
By Jessica Green
Illustrated by Mitch Vane
Little Hare, 2008, ISBN 978-1-921272-45-5, AUS $10.99 / UK
£3.99 / NZ $12.99 / US $ 6.99
After
Peg-leg puts a mouse in the captain’s soup, he and
Scratch find themselves floating at sea in a dinghy.
Being rescued by pirates doesn’t sit well with
Scratch, for the ship isn’t shipshape or tidy, but
as long as they work, they can stay aboard. A
culinary genius, Peg-leg replaces the current cook,
so being a kitten, Scratch decides he’s best suited
to catch mice. But that doesn’t please the pirate
captain because mice remind him of his sweetheart
back home.
The job Scratch really wants is the one Squawk, the
pirate’s parrot, has – sitting on the captain’s
shoulder. How difficult can that be? Plus Squawk
doesn’t really want the job, so Scratch suggests to
the parrot that he’s really a seagull. When that
doesn’t work, perhaps Squawk is a carrot. Only
Scratch’s quick thinking diverts disaster, saving
Squawk from becoming part of the evening stew.
Perhaps he should make a secret nest and find a
girlfriend, which is perfect – well almost. Once again Scratch comes
to Squawk’s rescue, but will it earn him a place on
the captain’s shoulder? And is that really where
Scratch wants to be?
This chapter book is a hilarious series of mishaps
that engage the reader. The pirates are a motley
crew, and the captain’s dependence on Squawk, the
parrot’s reluctance at his perch, and Scratch’s
determination to take his place make for some
head-shaking, riotous capers that leave young
pirates in training wondering what will happen next.
And the final outcome isn’t at all what is expected.
Vane’s black-and-white drawings help bring the
characters to life and perfectly depict the comedy
of errors that make up this pirate tale.
Review
Copyrighted ©2010 Cindy Vallar
The Pirate Vortex
The
Pirate Vortex
By Deborah Cannon
Trafford, 2009, ISBN
#978-1-4269-0532-2, CAN $20.03
Elizabeth
Latimer – scuba diver, multi-linguist, sailor,
telepathic with animals, and fencer extraordinaire!
Oh, and a reluctant pirate hunter. She vowed never
to follow in her father’s footsteps, but when her
mother, Tess, disappears while on a dive exploring
the wreck of Calico Jack Rackham’s Curlew,
Elizabeth has no choice in the matter. Especially
once a mysterious, but cute, guy named Daniel Corker
keeps popping up to entice her with his strange and
mysterious ways.
With the help of her younger sister, Lulu, Elizabeth
discovers that Tess uncovered a love letter from
Calico Jack to Anne Bonny and has travelled back to
the early 18th century. In doing so, she
upset the time continuum and unless Elizabeth can
set things aright, she and her sister will cease to
exist. Accompanying her on her travel through the
vortex is Jerrit Wang, a teaching assistant at the
University of Victoria, Canada, who teaches
Elizabeth’s Archaeology of Piracy class, and her
piratical parrot, CJ (short for Calico Jack). Lulu
remains behind to assist and communicates with her
sister through an iPocket.
Finding her mother proves something of a challenge,
especially since Tess doesn’t want to be found. She
has her own mission – locate her husband, whom
everyone assumes is dead. Nor does Elizabeth have
much better luck with Calico Jack, who thinks she’s
a witch and prefers drinking to pirating. Plus,
there’s the little problem of Anne being a prisoner
of Governor Woodes Rogers, who insists Anne reunite
with her husband, James Bonny. Not to mention that
Anne is peeved with Rackham for two-timing her. If
that isn’t enough trouble to deal with, Charles Vane
wants revenge because his former quartermaster
marooned him.
If you can suspend
belief and allow for the stray literary license with
history, such as Governor Rogers’ home, this
crazy-sounding plot is a rousing adventure with more
twists and turns than a boa constrictor. Interlaced
with the history and fiction are emotions and
reactions with which most young adults readers will
identify: humor, love, frustration, exasperation,
wariness, and trust. Aficionados of science fiction
may object to some plot devices, such as an iPocket
being usable in 18th-century New Providence, because
no reasonable explanations are given as to why these
violate scientific realities. That CJ and Elizabeth
have established a bond that allows them to
communicate telepathically works for me, but
believing she can do so with a horse she’s never
encountered before asked a bit much. I think the
most disturbing aspect about the story, however, was
Tess and her nonchalance at leaving behind two
children, albeit one who’s in college and somewhat
independent, without adult supervision. Even so, I
enjoyed this quirky cross between historical and
science fiction.
Review
Copyrighted ©2010 Cindy Vallar
Pirates: Scourge of
the Sea
By
John Reeve Carpenter
Sterling,
2008, 978-1-4027-6311-3, US $9.95, CAN $10.95
Pirates
primarily focuses on piracy in the early eighteenth
century, the golden age, but also incorporates other
time periods. The intent is to separate myth from
reality. Chapter one delves into the history from
ancient times through the 1800s. The next chapter
examines what life was like on a pirate ship, from the
social structure to the code of conduct to living
conditions at sea. Chapter three discusses battle
tactics and weaponry, while the following chapter
concentrates on types of ships, jolly rogers, and pirate
attire. The last chapter presents a who’s who of
pirates, beginning with the Barbarossa brothers and
ending with Cheng I Sao. The book also includes four
appendices: pirate superstitions, pirate legends,
fictional pirates, and pirate lore. There is a glossary,
but no index.
This
is a beautifully designed book with wonderful pictures
that capture the imagination or skillfully illustrate a
particular feature in the text. The pages are the color
of parchment and give the impression of aged documents.
The fearsome cover art draws the eye and the sturdy
binding will stand much abuse.
The
information is well organized, neatly arranged, and
absorbing to read. This is classified as a reference
book, but the lack of an index makes it difficult to
find specific information without paging through the
book. While the majority of material presented in Pirates
is a treasure trove, there are several nuggets of
inaccuracy. For example, jealousy over Cheng I Sao’s
choice of husband wasn’t the reason for the demise of
her pirate confederation. She didn’t remarry until after
she retired from piracy. A few historians claim Lauren
de Graff was black, but most dispute this claim and
there is no proof to verify the color of his skin.
Keelhauling was a form of punishment, but not one
pirates of the golden age used. It was primarily
implemented by navies. The reason for the large number
of men on a pirate ship wasn’t to replace crewmembers
who died from sickness or injury, but rather they were
needed to man the prize ships the pirates captured.
Gambling, while popular, was forbidden by many codes of
conduct while on board a pirate ship because of the
conflicts that could arise. There is no evidence
Blackbeard tortured captives for sport. Privateers
weren’t licensed to attack foreign ships, but enemy
ships.
Pirates
remains a treasure as long as readers don’t rely on it as
their sole source of information on piracy.
Review Copyrighted ©2009 Cindy Vallar
Pirate’s Log: A Handbook for Aspiring
Swashbucklers
By
Jory John and Avery Monsen
Illustrated
by Gilbert Ford
Chronicle
Books, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8118-6435-0, $15.95
Pirates
like William Dampier and Lionel Wafer kept journals, so
why not you? Pirate’s Log allows you to keep
your own journal while learning the ropes of
buccaneering and moving up the ranks from Shark-Bait to
Captain in twenty-two intriguing steps. One of the first
tasks you must accomplish is choosing your pirate name.
Among the other topics covered are celestial navigation,
knots, hooks and eye patches, flags, hiding treasure,
and ARRRR!
This
is a scurvy (a good word in this instance) workbook for
pirate apprentices. It contains lots of positive
feedback and provides ample space for recording
“assignments.” A lesson for Spit-Scrubbers seems a bit
either out of place or creative (depending on your
perspective); it involves drawing how much facial hair
one grows during a week. A questionable question in the
segment on pirate films is, “Did you see The Da
Vinci Code?” I suspect few pirate apprentices
watched this PG-13 film.
Humor
abounds both in the text and the pictures. One of my
favorite involves “X marks the spot.” They provide you
with a large “x” to put on your front lawn to see if
anyone actually digs for buried treasure. (Apprentices,
you may want to check with Captains Mom and Dad before
doing this one.) I suspect someone will either do so, or
in keeping with a piratical heart, they’ll steal the
“x.” One of the most fun exercises concerns sharks. Some
are quite comical and naming them is quite a challenge.
This
book comes with a rare treasure. The spine contains a
working lamp that allows pirate apprentices to study
their journals after the lights are turned off. (I do
recommend reading the mandatory instruction page before
using, so you don’t waste time guessing about how it
works.) Pirate’s Log is a grand prize for anyone
searching for pirate adventures that are safe and fun,
and that allows you to practice your writing skills with
pencil and paper.
Review
copyrighted © 2008 Cindy Vallar
The Queen’s Pirate –
Francis Drake
By
Sarah Courtauld
Illustrated
by Vincent Dutrait
EDC
Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978079452048-9, US $8.99
Eight-year-old
Francis Drake eavesdrops on a conversation between his
cousin and uncle. John and William Hawkins are to sail
on a new adventure, and Francis yearns to go, but he has
much to learn first. When that day arrives, he and John
embark for the New World via Africa to acquire a cargo
of slaves. Their arrival in the Spain’s Caribbean
colonies doesn’t go as planned, and the treachery that
transpires has a lasting effect on Drake. His hatred for
the Spaniards has no bounds, and with Queen Elizabeth’s
secret backing, he becomes not only their worst enemy,
but a national hero.
As
this chapter book recounts the life of this famous sea
dog, the young reader finds himself whisked away on
dangerous adventures. It is an excellent introduction to
this complicated man. The vibrant and realistic
illustrations captivate the eye and bring the tale
alive. A map of Drake’s voyages, a recap of his life,
and an index enhance the story.
Book Review copyrighted © 2008 Cindy Vallar
Buried Treasure, a
Pirate’s Tale
By
Carroll Harrison Kehne, Jr.
Cornell
Maritime Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-87033-601-0, $12.95
Captain
John Bloodsworth, a notorious pirate of the early 1700s,
preys upon unsuspecting ships navigating the Chesapeake
Bay. He’s a scurvy fellow who clads himself in fine
clothes and loves his jewels and weapons. He and his
crew capture an English galley laden with coins of gold
and silver, as well as a chest full of gems and jewelry.
Once they finish looting the ship, they set her afire
and sail for a friendly port. Later, Bloodsworth and
several chosen men find the perfect spot to bury their
ill-gotten treasure. Then a band of Susquehannocks
attack. Have Bloodsworth and his men the luck of scurvy
knaves, or be this their last adventure?
Pirate
tales set in the Chesapeake Bay are rare finds. Kehne,
who writes about the bay, does so to preserve its
stories and the environment. He includes a preface to
this picture book so readers have a better understanding
of the time period and the history. The artwork is
finely detailed, but dark and brooding, unlike most
picture books. Buried Treasure is also for older
children.
Book Review copyrighted © 2008 Cindy Vallar
Things to Make and
Do
By
Rebecca Gilpin
Illustrated
by Erica Harrison and others
EDC
Publishing, 2005, ISBN 978079451061-9, US $6.99
This
craft book invites youngsters to try their hands at
making various objects related to the world of pirates.
The activities include making hats, coins, money bags,
telescopes, earrings, eye patches, door signs, flags,
collages, rats, finger puppets, treasure chests, cutlass
and hook, and cards. One can learn to draw and paint
ships, illustrate a man overboard, paint a parrot, or
design Jolly Roger paper. Two pages of gold stickers are
included for use with the projects.
There
are a number of pirate craft books to be found in
libraries, but this one does include some activities
rarely found elsewhere. My favorite was the finger
puppets, which are bigger than most commercial ones.
This isn’t a book for the youngest of pirates and, for
the most part, some artistic ability is required. The
lack of patterns, the elaborateness of some of the
drawings, and the difficulty in interpreting some
instructions may frustrate young pirates who don’t have
adult pirates to help. Another drawback is the absence
of a list of items needed to accomplish each activity.
In spite of these drawbacks, this book includes unique
items that make this worth adding to a collection where
arts and crafts are popular.
Book review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Inside Access:
Pirates
By
Philip Steele
Kingfisher,
2007, ISBN 978-0-7534-6061-0, US $9.95
Jake
“Rattlebones” Rogers swings in to guide you through the
finer points of being a pirate. He explains why honest
sailors went on the account, explores the history of
piracy, introduces a few of the more notorious pirates,
and talks about the vessels they used, their weaponry,
and how they acquired booty. He also touches upon what
happened to captured pirates. A glossary and index are
included.
Written
for young pirates of five to eight years, this book has
large type and color pictures to captivate these
apprentices. There are flaps to open, maps to unfold,
flags to learn, and parts of the ship to memorize. This
worthy introduction to piracy, particularly in the
Caribbean, teaches that it wasn’t all fun and games. The
photographs, mixed with colorful sketches, bring this
world and the past to life for young readers.
Meet the Author
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Warriors
By
James Harpur
Atheneum
Books for Young Readers, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4169-3951-1, US
$21.99 / CAN $26.99
Noble
is the man who falls in the front line, fighting for his
native land.
--
Tyrtaeus, Spartan poet*
Throughout
history men have trained to be warriors and have given
their lives to defend their homelands, and sometimes to
conquer new territories. Within the pages of this
oversize book reminiscent of John Matthews’ Pirates, young readers meet
warriors of the past: Assyrians, Spartans, Alexander the
Great and the Macedonians, Celts, Romans, Gladiators,
Vikings, Samurai, Ninja, Genghis Khan and the Mongols,
Medieval Knights, Aztecs, and Zulus.
The
adventure begins when you open the front cover. Inside
is a full-color poster depicting each warrior in
traditional garb and armed with the weaponry of his time
period. The double-page spreads are in full color on
glossy, heavy paper that will survive many readings. The
pages combine text with artifacts, maps, weapons, and
spotlights for each group of fighters. Some pages also
have fold-outs, tabs to pull, and two groups are found
behind the closed gates of their fortresses. The Vikings
include a three-dimensional image of a longship, while
the Ninja have cards depicting stealth tactics and the
Medieval Knights have cards shaped like shields that
depict symbols associated with these warriors. The
timeline at the end of the book begins with 753 B.C.
when Rome was founded, and ends in 1879 when the British
defeated the Zulus.
The
details, writing, and illustrations provide a gripping
introduction to warriors throughout history and the world.
Although written for children ages 3-6, adults will find
this book just as rewarding and absorbing. Warriors
will bring hours of fun and learning for the whole family,
and in the process spark interest in exploring each and
every one of these warriors further.
*The dates given for this poet are circa 685-68 B.C.
This would mean he lived 617 years, which I doubt. It is the
only error I found in the text.
Book review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
To Catch a Pirate
By
Jade Parker
Point,
2007, ISBN 978-0-439-02694-9, US $6.99
Annalisa
Townsend accompanies her father to Mourning, a Caribbean
island where her will be governor. Before they arrive,
pirates attack their ship. One of the pirates finds her,
but she barters a diamond ring for his silence. James
Sterling also steals a kiss, before the pirates return
to the Phantom Mist and sail away. When her
father is jailed for being in league with the pirates,
who stole the treasure the king had trusted to his
keeping, Annalisa vows vengeance.
One
year later, James prowls the streets of New Orleans in
search of a ship. With him is Ferret, a one-armed pirate
whom Captain Crimson Kelly marooned with James upon
discovering that James hadn’t been as forthright as he
should have about the treasure below deck on the
merchant ship. Ferret, whose pockets are empty, betrays
James to a notorious pirate hunter named Annalisa
Townsend.
With
the help of the Nathaniel Northrup, one of the officers
aboard the merchant ship when the pirates attacked,
Annalisa intends to track down Crimson Kelly and
retrieve the treasure chest he took from her father. She
will do whatever is necessary to achieve her goal, which
is why she captures James Sterling. He’s the only one
who knows the location of Kelly’s secret hiding place,
but will he cooperate?
James,
too, has a single-minded purpose– to steal the Phantom
Mist from Kelly and become a pirate captain. What
he hasn’t calculated on is Annalisa’s effect on him. To
complicate matters, Nathaniel is in love with her, too,
and while their prisoner, James finds himself on the
receiving end of various punishments ordered by
Nathaniel. Then there’s the problem of a forged letter
of marque and a spy within their ranks. Will Annalisa
and James achieve their goals? Who will win Annalisa’s
heart? Is Nathaniel willing to destroy James to win
Annalisa? Can they trust James, or will he set a trap
that betrays them while rescuing Kelly, the first person
to ever care about him?
The
author makes a few minor errors that may prevent the
reader from totally believing in this tale. For example,
when James instructs Annalisa in the finer points of
fighting like a pirate, she agilely maneuvers around the
ship’s deck wielding her cutlass while wearing a
floor-length gown. In reality, she would probably trip
over her skirts and find herself staring up the sharp
blade poised at her heart. When a lookout sights land,
she sees green mountains in the distance. She would not
see this yet, for her horizon differs from his because
the lookout can see a greater distance than she can
since he’s aloft and she’s on the deck. Nor would
Crimson Kelly use a galleon – a cumbersome vessel that
was difficult to handle and displaced a lot of water –
characteristics that were the opposite of what pirates
desired in a ship. It’s also questionable whether she
would come face-to-face with the most notorious pirate
of the day – Bartholomew Roberts – unless Annalisa
acquires her reputation and retrieves the stolen
treasure in the time frame allowed, for Roberts was
prowling the waters off West Africa by May of 1721.
In
spite of these shortcomings, To Catch a Pirate
is an intriguing, romantic adventure written for young
adults. It is filled with moves and countermoves much
like a game of chess. Just when you think you’ve won,
one of the characters does something unexpected, turning
your conclusion topsy-turvy.
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Dead Cool
By
Peter Clover
Stone
Arch Books, 2005, ISBN 978-1-59889-100-3, US $16.95
Sammy
wants a dog, but he and his parents live in a small
apartment. Instead they get a parrot, but Polly only
squawks. One day after school, though, Sammy hears a
strange voice in the apartment and when he looks around,
he sees not one parrot, but two! And the second one
talks. But Sammy is the only one who sees Crabmeat. The
next day Crabmeat comes with a friend – a red cat – and
while lying on his bed, Sammy sees a boy sitting in the
chair. His name is Smitty. Later eleven more pirates
join Smitty, and they have a rousing good time
entertaining Sammy until one of them mentions Red Beard
the Really Rotten. These aren’t ordinary pirates;
they’re ghosts who drowned at sea after mutinying
against Red Beard, who’s been chasing them for 250
years.
Sammy’s
apartment seems safe enough, so the pirates and their
animals hide out there. One day, while his mom cooks
breakfast, Crabmeat pipes out a warning: “Shiver me
timbers! Ship ahoy! Pieces of eight!” Through the window
they see an approaching storm. Sammy’s dad says the
bacon tastes like seaweed as the sky darkens. Then
there’s a flash of light, and Red Beard the Really
Rotten appears at the window. Anger oozes from him in
smoke and flames. What’s Sammy to do? Can the pirates
escape? Will he save them and his parents? Or will Red
Beard finally get his revenge?
Dead
Cool starts out as a simple tale about a boy who
yearns for a pet. Once he gets his wish, though, Sammy
finds himself enmeshed in a mystery he didn’t want to be
part of. As astounding as the events seem, they are
believable, and the climax builds until it strikes with
the force of a hurricane. The solution to escaping Red
Beard’s clutches will surprise even the savviest of
readers! Like other Stone Arch books, Dead Cool’s
reinforced library binding makes certain that this
adventure survives many a stormy sea. The discussion
questions and writing prompts allow readers to explore
the world of pirates in greater depth.
This
tale captivates and stirs the imagination, while spicing
it with ghostly danger. Great fun and perfect for a
dark, stormy night – especially around Halloween!
Fact Hound Pirate Recommendations
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Blackbeard’s Sword
By
Liam O’Donnell
Illustrated
by Mike Spoor
Stone
Arch Books, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59889-309-0, US $17.95
In
1718 Jacob and his father help Lieutenant Maynard hunt
for the infamous Blackbeard. They are the pilots and
Jacob is supposed to make certain the Jane
doesn’t run aground. But he hasn’t come to capture
Blackbeard. He’s there to save the notorious pirate, and
his lie about the water’s depth forces the ship onto a
sandbar.
During
the ensuing engagement between the pirates and the navy,
Jacob finds himself in the midst of a bloody battle. No
longer does he find pirates such great heroes. But can
the men of the Jane win the day? Or does Jacob’s
lie spell their doom?
A
mix between a comic book and a chapter book, this
rousing adventure – seen through the eyes of a young lad
– shows how we sometimes idealize those we shouldn’t and
why. The tale is straightforward and easy to read, while
the colorful pictures bring the story to life. The
violence is depicted, but never graphic. The glossary
provides pronunciations and definitions of words readers
may not know. There is a brief historical recap of
pirates and Blackbeard, as well as discussion questions
and writing prompts that guide children to explore
deeper. Blackbeard’s Sword is a melding of fact
and fiction that relates a true event in a way children
will understand.
Fact Hound Pirate Recommendations
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Space Pirates
By
David Orme
Stone
Arch Books, 2004, ISBN 1-59889-016-6, US $15.95
Todd
works in engineering aboard the Nightstar,
commanded by Captain Street. While flying through space,
the warp engine suddenly stops then restarts. When Todd
attempts to shut down the engine to see what’s wrong, he
discovers that he can’t. They no longer control the
ship’s computer! And they’re headed for the Ghost Nebula
– a dangerous place for a spaceship.
Whoever
or whatever controls the Nightstar guides it to
a planet. Once on the ground they discover they’re in
the midst of a pirate haven. Todd keeps watch on the
perimeter, while the others look for another ship to use
for an escape. Before they can, though, the evil Dr.
Drake – head of the pirates – discovers them and takes
them prisoner. Can Todd rescue his mates? Will they
escape the pirates? Or are they all doomed?
This
action-filled tale of pirates in space unfolds in six
easy-to-read chapters. It’s an exciting blend of science
fiction and nasty villains. With its library reinforced
binding, the book will stand up to serious wear and
tear. Discussion questions and writing prompts allow
readers to explore the story further and to learn more
about the solar system.
Fact Hound Pirate and Space Recommendations
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
The Story of Pirates
By
Rob Lloyd Jones
Illustrated
by Vincent Dutrait
EDC
Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7945-1618-5, US $8.99
Part
of the Usborne Young Reading series, “which combines
good stories with easy reading text,” The Story of
Pirates introduces readers to the history of
piracy in six chapters. The reader’s journey begins with
ancient pirates, which includes those of the Roman
Empire, the Vikings, and the Barbary Corsairs. The
Golden Age chapter begins with the discovery of the New
World then talks about life as a pirate during the
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Chapter
three covers pirate attacks from the Jolly Roger to
treasure to articles of agreement. “Cruel Captains”
discusses l’Ollonais and Blackbeard, while “Pirates
Defeated” covers Bartholomew Roberts and William Kidd.
The final chapter touches on modern piracy, Asian
piracy, and pirates in fiction. The book closes with an
annotated list of ten other famous pirates and
privateers.
While
chapter one is misnamed, since it covers far more than
ancient times, it is a good introduction to key pirates
of the past. While the author discusses the cruelty
meted out on Christian slaves, he fails to mention that
Christian corsairs were equally brutal with their
treatment of Muslim slaves. There are also some minor
errors in the text. For example, Viking longships did
not have flat bottoms. When repairing leaks on the hull
of a ship, rotten planks were replaced before oakum and
tar were applied, as opposed to just stuffing the leaks
with old rope and applying tar. Blackbeard wrecked the Queen
Anne’s Revenge before he battled Lieutenant
Maynard. William Dampier did not maroon Alexander
Selkirk; Thomas Stradling did.
Overall,
the information presented is easy to read and holds your
attention. What adds special panache to the book are the
color illustrations. They vividly portray pirates and
their lives at sea in a realistic manner. They bring the
text to life. The Story of Pirates is a good
introduction to pirates for early readers ready for
longer books and for reluctant readers. On the last page
within the fine print, there is a website where readers
can go to learn more about pirates. I’ve included the
link below.
Recommended Pirate Links
Book
review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Jack Plank Tells Tales
by
Natalie Babbitt
Scholastic,
2007, ISBN 978-0-545-00496-1, US $15.95 / CAN $19.95
Jack
Plank is an out-of-work pirate, not because he is a bad
plunderer, but because times are hard and no matter how
fond his mates are of him, there is only so much soup to
go around. Since he lacks the knack to acquire booty,
they have to let him go. He soon finds himself in
Saltwash, a small seaport, and Mrs. Delfresno agrees to
let him rent a room at her establishment as long as her
other boarders get along with him and he finds a job.
During
the day, Nina (Mrs. Delfresno’s daughter) helps Jack
look for work. At night, everyone gathers around the
supper table to eat and discuss the day’s events.
Needless to say, one topic of conversation is whether or
not Jack has found a job. He would become a farmer, but
that requires him to cross a bridge, which he can’t do.
When asked why, Jack tells the tale of his friend Lugger
who did just that and was accosted by a troll! On
successive nights he explains why he can’t be a baker, a
fortune teller, a fisherman, a barber, a goldsmith, an
actor, or a musician. Eventually, he runs out of
possible jobs and knows he must leave. But Nina, her
mother, and the others have an idea.
Jack
Plank Tells Tales reminds me of those books my
sisters and I used to read in the summertime. We’d climb
into our bunk beds at the cabin, Mom turned off the
lights, and we took turns reading aloud by flashlight
from a tome filled with adventures that captured our
imaginations and brought wonderful adventures to our
dreams. There aren’t any rousing sword fights or
intricate puzzles to solve. Rather this children’s book
spins a subtle web that snares the reader with strange
and fantastic tales. Jack’s reasons for not doing a job
are sound, but far different from what you expect. By
the time you’ve read one or two chapters, you find
yourself wishing the day would pass quicker so you can
return to this delightful treasure of stories that whisk
you to a simpler time near the sea where magic things
happen and problems are easily solved.
Book review copyrighted © 2007 Cindy Vallar
Treasure Island
By
Robert Louis Stevenson
Retold
by Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin
Illustrated
by Greg Rebis
Stone
Arch Books, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59889-050-1, US $17.95
Billy
Bones, a sea captain who sings of dead men’s chests,
resides at the inn Jim Hawkins and his mother run. One
night a stranger comes looking for Billy Bones and gives
him a message – the black spot! The captain dies
suddenly, and in searching his chest for the money owed
them, Jim and his mother discover a treasure map. With
the help of Dr. Livesey and Mr. Trelawney, Jim sets off
to find the treasure. Unbeknownst to these three brave
souls, the cook Trelawney hires isn’t to be trusted.
He’s none other than Long John Silver, and he and his
fellow pirates want the treasure, too. Danger abounds
for Jim and his friends, especially once they discover
the truth about their shipmates. Who will win the
struggle for the buried pirate booty? Will Jim ever see
his mother and home again?
In
junior high school, my parents gave me a copy of Treasure
Island for Christmas. Unlike my sisters, who were
very selective in what they read or who rarely read at
all, I loved to read, but Stevenson’s book proved a
challenge I couldn’t win. Years later, as a school
librarian, I met other children like my sisters who were
reluctant readers. They introduced me to graphic novels
– illustrated classics akin to comic books.
Stone
Arch’s tale is just such a tale – a graphic retelling of
the classic pirate story, Treasure Island. The
brooding darkness that illuminates the illustrations
sets the mood. The facial characteristics of the
characters exude trust or danger. The dialogue and
captions slowly spin their web until the reader is
caught in a snare from which there is no escape. Also
included at the end of the book are a glossary,
background information about sailing ships, discussion
questions, and writing prompts. If there is any drawback
to this book, it is the price.
Had
my parents given me this hardback version of Stevenson’s
famous book, I would have read it over and over again.
It is a pirate adventure to savor, especially on those
dark, stormy nights when the fire sparks and crackles in
the hearth and the house creaks as thunder crashes and
wind wails. Have you the courage to venture inside the
pages of Treasure Island?
Winner
of PMA's Ben Franklin Award for Graphic Novels
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Pirates: Facts, Figures & Fun
By
Ian Zaczek
ff&f,
2007, ISBN 978-1-904332-67-1, US$5.95, £5.99
(Distributed
in the USA and Canada by Sterling Publishing)
Within
the pages of this small book, the author explores the
realm of piracy during the 16th and 17th centuries, with
particular emphasis on their activities in the
Caribbean. After a brief introduction to set the stage
worldwide, Zaczek interweaves facts with fiction to show
readers the truth about such legendary pirates as Avery,
Blackbeard, Morgan, Kidd, and many others. He includes
notorious women sea rouges, as well as pirate hunters.
In the final two chapters, he examines the image pirate
of pirates and their place in popular culture. The final
page provides a list of recommended books and websites
where readers can find more information.*
One
thing to keep in mind is that this book is a British
publication. This is why many titles mentioned in the
last chapter are ones with which Americans probably
won’t be familiar. Also, the author uses “pressurised”
for “pressured” when talking about how Kidd's men forced
him into attacking several vessels. In no way does this
detract, though. In fact it provides readers with a
refreshing examination of popular culture. Written
primarily for teenagers and older children, this book is
reminiscent of David Cordingly’s Under the Black
Flag.
Information
about Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge,
was a tad confusing, only because the author fails to
provide the original name of the vessel until four pages
later and the intervening dates may give the reader
pause. The chart on pirate trials says 15 of
Blackbeard’s men were tried for piracy, but only
provides the outcome for 14 of them.
These
are minor issues, though. This book is a fast and
entertaining read with oodles of information packed into
94 pages. Its size is about the same as a paperback, so
it is easily carried. The chapter on popular culture
includes the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy
and Talk Like a Pirate Day. What I particularly liked
was the tidbits of information not often found in other
pirate books like this. Pirates: Facts, Fiction
& Fun is a great introduction to Golden Age
piracy and a worthy addition to your collection,
especially if you’re looking for a brief overview that
will lead you to further exploration.
*It was an honor to find Pirates and
Privateers among the sites listed.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Pirates Don’t
Wear Pink Sunglasses
By
Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
Illustrated
by John Steven Gurney
Scholastic,
1994, ISBN 0-590-47298-4, US $3.99 / CAN $5.50
The
students of Bailey Elementary School find themselves
once again at Camp Lone Wolf. Liza, Melody, Howie, and
Eddie are certain their counselor, Mr. Jenkins, is a
werewolf. They’re equally sure that they’ll never win
the annual boat race against the Sheldon Sharks. Mr.
Jenkins, however, has hired a racing coach – Captain
Teach, who wears pink sunglasses, has a black beard, and
walks around with a talking parrot on his shoulder!
This
summer, though, the camp looks even more rundown than it
did last time they visited. Before long they discover
that this may well be Camp Lone Wolf’s last days – the
owners want to sell it to a company that wants to build
a mall! No more birds chirping. No more trees swaying.
Setting aside their fears, the kids want to prevent the
sale, but what can they do?
Then
Captain Teach tells them the story of Molly the Red, a
fierce pirate who buried her treasure in 1718, and no
one has found it to this very day. If Liza, Melody,
Howie, and Eddie can find the treasure, they can save
the camp. The hunt begins, but they soon discover they
aren’t the only ones searching for the hidden booty!
Will they find it in time? Will they escape the clutches
of the real pirate in their midst? Will Bailey
Elementary finally win the boat race?
I
confess the title is what caught my attention. Pink
sunglasses are about the last thing I would think of
when discussing pirates. Yet this wonderful adventure
captured my attention from the first page to the last.
Number 9 in “The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids,”
this book mixes attention-grabbing creatures – like
werewolves, pirates, and parrots – with normal everyday
kids and activities. The result is a combustible tale of
intrigue and humor that will have you smiling and
gasping with each new revelation. Perfect for reading
aloud while camping or for acting out as a play.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Roanoke
Roanoke:
The Mystery of the Lost Colony
By
Lee Miller
Scholastic,
2007, ISBN 978-0-439-71266-8, US $18.99 / CAN $22.99
In
1584 two English ships, guided by a Portuguese pilot
named Simon Fernandez, arrive in the New World. They
seek a place to claim for Queen Elizabeth, so that
England can acquire the same riches Spain takes from the
Caribbean and Spanish Main. The man behind this
expedition and others is Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the
queen’s favorites who feels the best way to attack Spain
is from the sea. After all, Spain, which has the most
powerful navy, amasses an armada that will eventually
attack England.
The
following year, another expedition arrives at Roanoke
Island to establish a military base. Sir Richard
Grenville befriends the Secotan, while John White draws
the people, flora, and fauna found in this country.
Grenville had intended to remain here, but seawater
damaged their cargo and food, so he returns home. Ralph
Lane refuses to go with him. He remains behind to build
the fort. He also wages war against the Indians, for he
believes he will find gold and silver where the Secotan
acquire their copper.
Overcrowding
in London and the beauty and serenity of the New World
convince John White to establish a colony along
Chesapeake Bay. With Raleigh’s backing and the queen’s
blessing, he and 117 men, women, and children set sail
in 1587 to establish a new home. Among the passengers
are his pregnant daughter and son-in-law, Eleanor and
Ananias Dare. Misfortune plagues the voyage almost from
the start and their pilot, Simon Fernandez, refuses to
take them to Chesapeake Bay. Instead he deposits them at
Roanoke Island, a dangerous place because of Lane’s
treatment of the Indians.
Fernandez’s
refusal to acquire the needed food and supplies to
survive the winter forces White to sail to England after
the birth of his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first
white person born in this New World. Once there, though,
circumstances prevent him from returning for three
years. Why doesn’t White return in time to save his
family and friends? Why did Fernandez sabotage the
voyage at every opportunity? Who hates White enough to
endanger the lives of 117 innocent people? Or is someone
else the actual target and White and the colonists are
merely a convenient means to bring about that person’s
ruin? What happens to the colonists and what does the
message “Croatoan” mean?
Although
pirates play only a peripheral part in the story of the
Lost Colony, people like Walter Raleigh and Queen
Elizabeth are names well known to those who follow the
Sea Dogs who preyed on Spanish treasure ships and towns
in the sixteenth century. Written for older children,
anyone will find this narrative of the events
surrounding the founding of the colony and the
colonists’ subsequent disappearance fascinating. Ms.
Miller incorporates information from primary documents
and asks probing questions that allow readers to attempt
to unravel the mystery as they read the book. While
definitive answers aren’t available, the colonists and
others left clues to follow and the narrative provides
readers with a logical and comprehensive understanding
of the circumstances and people who played a role in
what happened. Paintings, drawings, and photographs,
including White’s sketches, enhance the story and make
it more real for the reader. Roanoke: The Mystery of
the Lost Colony is a fascinating look into the
past and an engrossing examination of an unsolved
mystery.
Learn
more about Roanoke
Roanoke
Revisited -- curriculum unit
The Lost
Colony Center
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Piratepedia
Piratepedia
By
Alisha Niehaus and Alan Hecker
DK
Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7566-2660-0, US $12.99; CAN
$15.99
Travel
through time to visit the history of piracy. From
Ancient Greece to Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea
to France to the Spanish Main to the South China Sea,
readers learn about pirates, their hunting grounds,
their victims, life at sea, and the penalties the sea
rogues suffered when captured. Piratepedia also
explores modern maritime piracy and the swashbucklers of
Hollywood and literature. Maps locate where you are,
while compasses show you when in time. Signs and
advertisements take you on side trips and provide you
with tidbits to help you during the journey. Wanted
posters highlight notorious pirates, while the Pirate
Times provides current events of the day. A poster
of Rackham’s Jolly Roger is also included.
The
vivid and colorful images of artifacts, ships, weapons,
treasure, places, tools, and food bring the world of
piracy to life. Black-and-white portraits match the
faces of individual pirates to their names, allowing
readers to observe that your eyes don’t always see the
evilness beneath the skin. Although published by the
same company as the Eyewitness Books (Richard Platt’s Pirate),
Piratepedia is geared toward older children and
is a wonderful resource for beginning your piratical
journey through history. A rare treat is the inclusion
of historical tidbits rarely found in other books on
this subject.
One
drawback, though, is that on occasion the authors give a
lopsided view. For example, they mention that the
Mediterranean corsairs – both Christian and Barbary –
enslaved people, but portray the Barbary Corsairs as
villains, whereas the Knights of Malta come across more
as the good guys. In reality, these corsairs were
sometimes more brutal toward the many Muslims they
enslaved than the Barbary Corsairs were to Christians.
Also, no mention is made of the fact that the Muslims
permitted Christian captives to convert and be free, or
that many corsairs were renegadoes, Christians
who became Muslims and attacked the ships and towns of
Europe. Someone versed in the history of pirates will
also discover some facts that aren’t quite true – such
as William Kidd being captured in New York – but these
are minor infractions.
The
cover is eye-catching. Through the eye of the skull one
can see a ship outlined against a cloudy blue sky – ripe
pickings for any pirate. Inside is an ominous warning,
“Only the brave or the foolish dare enter here…” Both
entice readers to delve into the unsavory world of sea
villains. Several treasures at the end of the book make Piratepedia
a worthy addition to pirate collections. Since the authors
include information on piracy today, readers learn about
the shipwreck discoveries of Sam Bellamy’s Whydahand
Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge. Historical
collections on sea rogues, though, do not include excerpts
from “Classical Pirate Literature.” Piratepedia
does. Each selection begins with an overview of the story
and its importance in piratical history, a brief biography
of the author, and a list of characters. The pirate
stories included here are Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure
Island, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of
Penzance, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Captain
Sharkey. Other authors are also mentioned, so adventurous
young pirates can delve into other noteworthy stories.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Shonen Jump's One
Piece (series)
King of the Pirates
By Michael Antony Steele
Scholastic, 2006
ISBN 978-0-439-89719-8
US $4.99; CAN $6.50
|
The Circus Comes to Town
Adapted by Howie Dewin
Scholastic, 2006
ISBN 978-0-439-89726-6
US $4.99; CAN $6.50
|
A
wealthy pirate, Gold Roger stands on the gallows
awaiting the hangman’s noose. Before he dies, he tells
the crowd, “My fortune is yours for the taking. But
you’ll have to find it first. I left everything I own in
one piece.” Pirates everywhere vow to find Roger’s “One
Piece – the treasure that would make even the wildest
dreams come true.”
In King
of the Pirates, two sailors spy a bobbing barrel
near their cruise ship and bring it aboard, but before
they can discover what treasure lies within, the lookout
spots a pirate ship! Koby is a reluctant
pirate-in-training under the command of Captain Alvida.
After they successfully capture the cruiser, Koby
discovers the barrel and opens it. He never expects to
see a strange boy inside. Monkey D. Luffy, Luffy for
short, isn’t scared of Alvida or the pirates. He just
wants to eat! The thieves have different plans for
Luffy, and in the ensuing battle, they discover he can
stretch and stretch and stretch his body until he utters
three special words and becomes like a boomerang that
quickly defeats the pirates. Luffy, who wants to be the
king of pirates, agrees to drop Koby, who wants to join
the royal navy, at the nearest port. The adventures that
await them there, though, are not what either of them
expects.
The
pirates in The Circus Comes to Town are under
the leadership of Buggy the Clown, who has a map that
will lead them to One Piece. Only two things stand in
their way – Luffy and a young girl named Nami, who
steals Buggy’s treasure map right out from under his
bulbous nose. All Luffy wants is food and a crew for his
ship, and he thinks Nami would make a great navigator,
but she has no intention of becoming a pirate. Buggy’s
men are hot on their trail, though, and to save herself,
she betrays Luffy and joins Buggy’s crew. What she
doesn’t expect is for the captain to make her kill
Luffy. How will they get out of this predicament? Will
Luffy’s friends, Koby and the Pirate Hunter Zolo, arrive
in time?
These
adaptations of animated characters provide youngsters
with rousing adventures that combine the fantastic with
dangerous encounters while in search of treasure.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
A Moment in Time II:
Pirates!
A
Moment in Time II: Pirates!
by
J. Howland Woodward
PublishAmerica,
2006, ISBN 1-4241-5574-6, US $12.95
Tyler,
David, and Josh have a special closet in their house. It
is a doorway to the past, but they only have twenty-four
hours to return once they enter the past. Tyler, ever
curious, wants to learn more about Bill Johnston,
Buccaneer of the Islands, so he ventures back to 1838.
His older brothers follow, intent on retrieving Tyler
before it’s too late and they are condemned to live in
the past forever.
All
three boys emerge from the wardrobe in a passenger’s
cabin aboard the Robert S. Peel. As they tour
the paddle-wheel ship, they bump into a stranger dressed
in black. He threatens to turn them in to the captain
unless the boys deliver a mysterious message to a man
ashore wearing a red kerchief. Left with little choice –
the gateway to their time is aboard the ship – the boys
agree. They assume they will deliver the message and
figure out a way to get back on the ship. The man with
the kerchief has other ideas, for he and his partners
take the brothers prisoners. Once at their hideout,
Tyler comes face to face with Bill Johnston. Will he
learn the truth about this notorious pirate? Will he and
his brothers escape? How will they get back to the
Robert S. Peel and the doorway back to the present?
Mrs.
Woodward combines her love of teaching and historical
novels into a captivating time travel for children.
While not a pirate in the truest sense, Bill Johnston is
a Canadian patriot who wanted for his country what
Americans already had – independence from Britain. Based
on a little-known incident in history, A Moment in
Time II combines riveting adventure with mystery
and intrigue. A fast-paced story for children,
especially boys, who dream of the past and pirates and
enjoy what-if puzzles.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
Jack Black and the
Ship of Thieves
Jack
Black and the Ship of Thieves
by
Carol Hughes
Yearling,
2006, ISBN 0-375-80473-0, US $5.99
Young
Jack Black has two wishes. More than anything he wants
to be a pilot like his friend Gadfly, who flies a bright
yellow Berger 17. He also wants to accompany his father
on the maiden voyage of the greatest airship ever built,
the Bellerophon. Jack has flown with Gadfly, but
without his parents’ permission. Although reluctant to
grant Jack his second wish, Captain Black agrees on the
condition that Jack obeys his orders without argument.
Jack readily agrees, but soon fate intervenes.
Just
as the navigator prepares to ascend to the top ofBelle
to take a reading with the only sextant aboard, one of
the younger crew members needs assistance with a severe
cut on his hand. Jack is told to wait, but a desire to
see the clouds pulls him to ascend the ladder. After
taking the coordinates of the airship, Jack descends,
only to hear strange voices as the wind buffets Belle.
Someone has disabled the rudder and planted a bomb on
board. Jack must warn his father, but to do so he must
crawl across the top of the airship and descend through
another hatchway. As his pursuers close in, Jack tumbles
over the side and falls. Through an impossible miracle,
the sails of a ship and a pile of soiled clothes cushion
his landing. Jack realizes, though, that he’s gone from
one dangerous situation to another. The ship swarms with
pirates!
When
the rogues discover Jack, they force him to join the
crew. He pleads with the captain to rescue his father
and the crew of the Belle, but the pirate ship
hasn’t put into port for over twenty years. Jack must
find a way to escape the pirates and save his father,
yet an indestructible battleship, a disabled plane, a
volcano about to erupt, and the bomber challenge Jack at
every turn. Can he overcome all these obstacles to come
to Belle’s aid before the cold of the Arctic and
a dwindling food supply kill his father and his crew?
This
story has the feel of the serials shown before the main
feature at the movies years ago. The action is nonstop,
and while one or two of Jack’s encounters with danger
seem a bit unrealistic or contrived, the reader never
disbelieves what’s happening. The author does a
wonderful job showing how technological developments
change the world. Jack finds himself caught between
right and wrong and learns valuable lessons about
friendship and love.
Read an Excerpt
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
How to Build Pirate
Ships
How
to Build Pirate Ships
by
Doug Stillinger
Klutz,
2006, ISBN 1-57054-228-7, US $12.95 / CAN $16.99 / £8.99
Beware!
This is not your normal book and it can be addictive,
especially if you like jigsaw puzzles. How to Build
Pirate Ships is exactly what the title says. Using
building cards (already perforated and notched) that
come with this book, children and adults can follow the
page-by-page instructions to create a pirate ship or use
the cards to construct a design of their own from a
Spanish galleon to an island fortress, or a mansion to a
river barge. Along the way builders learn to the parts
of a ship and some scurvy pirate speak.
When
I tried this book (which mysteriously appeared at my
door one day), I opted to build the pirate ship in the
instructions. First, I broke the cards into hangers,
noses, skinnies, trapezoids, arcs, elbows, biggies, and
squares. (Don’t worry, these are just the names of the
various shapes of the building cards, which are quite
sturdy.) The colorfully illustrated pieces have
perforations that easily allowed me to break them apart
with a snap. Using words and pictures, the instructions
explain how to put the pieces together. The diagrams
allow builders to see what pieces go where and how, as
well as how the ship will look once the pieces are
applied. You are shown what the vessel looks like once
finished, but you can mix and match cards to create a
patchwork ship rather than the one that is technically
correct.
I
had only two problems while constructing my ship. On
page 11, there is an error in the number of skinnies
needed to complete step 8. The picture shows the right
number (3), but the card picture says 4. On page 14,
step 14 seems to include a skinny that has no purpose.
Since I couldn’t figure out what to do with the card, I
built the ship without it and had no problems. Aside
from this all the instructions were clear cut and
assembly was simple. These books are designed for ages
10 and older, so younger builders may need the help of
an adult. When you’re finished, put the pirate that
comes with the book on the deck.
A
few of the creations require more than one pack of
cards, but Klutz sells those in packs of two for $10.95.
I had a lot of fun building my pirate ship, which
measures 15 inches tall, about 17 inches long, and 7
inches wide. If I want to design another vessel, I can
easily take the cards apart and begin again. The more
cards you have, the bigger the ships and the greater the
number of them that you can build. Great fun and an
educational treasure, too!
I recently heard from Doug Stillenger, and he has fixed the
error on page 11. The extra card on page 14 is no longer
included in the artwork. Also, Melissa Bloomfield, a
publicist at Scholastic Books, is the mysterious sender of
this book.
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
How to be a
Pirate in 7 Days or Less
How
to be a Pirate in 7 Days or Less
by
Lesley Rees
illustrated
by Jan Lewis
Kingfisher,
2006, ISBN 0-7534-6041-6, US $12.95
Ever
want to be a pirate? Captain Kidd needs a crew, but he
must find them in just seven days, for that’s when he
sets sail in search of treasure. At present he only has
a first mate named Barnacle Bill and Poopdeck, the
parrot. This seven-day crash course in becoming a pirate
will allow you to join him on his treasure-hunting
expedition.
Day
1: Any good pirate requires a name. Once you’ve chosen
yours, Captain Kidd shows you how to make
a porthole nameplate to hang on your door.
Day
2: What’s a pirate without the proper set of clothes?
The finishing touch to your costume will be
to make a cutthroat cutlass.
Day
3: To navigate your ship, you need a telescope to see
where you’re headed.
Day
4: What’s a pirate without a treasure chest? When the
day’s done, you’ll have one in which to hide
your booty.
Day
5: To gather treasure, you’ll need other pirates, so
it’s time to invite them to the party. Your
ship is in need of a Jolly Roger to warn others that
you’re pirates in search of treasure.
Once you have that, you need a map to show where you
hide your plunder.
Day
6: Pirating is hard work, so you’ll need lots of food,
like scurvy-busting grog, hard tack, topsail
sandwiches, doubloons, rats’ tails & pieces of
eight, and cannonballs.
Day
7: Once your crew assembles, there are games to play,
treasure to find, and rules to bind you
together as shipmates.
Each
day, children learn a fact or two about pirates and make
something that’s fun and educational at the same time.
The materials needed for the activities can usually be
found at home or purchased from a store for little
money. Inside the front cover is a ruler for measuring
and a cutlass and skulls and crossbones to trace. The
inside back cover has a traceable alphabet. There,
you’ll also find a “locked” satchel that contains a hat
and eyepatch, stickers, game counters and “gold”
earring, and a poster to color and display. The book
also has strings that allow you to tie it shut.
How
to be a Pirate in 7 Days or Less is a fun and safe
way to explore the world of pirates. The instructions
are easy to understand, although younger children will
require the aid of an adult for some activities. (The
book is geared toward ages 5 to 8.) The illustrations
invite readers to explore the pages and understand what
the day will bring. Pirates who dare to venture within
will find plenty of treasure!
Book Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar
The History of Pirates
by Allison Lassieur
ISBN 978-0-7368-6423-7
|
The Pirate Code
by Liam O’Donnell
ISBN 978-0-7368-6424-4
|
Pirate Gear
by Liam O’Donnell
ISBN 978-0-7368-6425-1
|
Pirate Hideouts
by Allison Lassieur
ISBN 978-0-7368-6426-8
|
Pirate Ships
by Liam O’Donnell
ISBN 978-0-7368-6427-5
|
Pirate Treasure
by Liam O’Donnell
ISBN 978-0-7368-6428-2
|
Capstone
Press, 2007, US $23.93 or $143.58 (set)
This
new series introduces children who read chapter books to
the world of pirates. Each book is divided into four
chapters that concentrate on some aspect of the general
topic. Illustrations and photographs are captioned, and
a three-point introduction flag at the beginning of each
chapter. Special facts are highlighted on a black
background with white text, reminiscent of the pirates’
Jolly Roger. The books also contain special features
that include a glossary, suggested reading list, an
index, and information on how to access FactHound*, a
safe-for-children Internet site that lists
age-appropriate pirate websites.
The
History of Pirates examines who they were, how
people became pirates, how they lived, and what happened
to pirates. Much of the material concentrates on the
Golden Age of Piracy, but there are two pages on modern
maritime piracy. The Pirate Code provides a
closer look at what it was like to be a pirate. It
includes more details on becoming a pirate and their
codes of conduct than History does. It also includes a
page on women pirates. Pirate Gear looks at
tools pirates used in battle and aboard a ship. The
final chapter discusses how pirates entertained
themselves while at sea. Pirate Hideouts
explores where the pirates hid and where they found safe
havens. The book also looks at the notorious Port Royal.
Pirate Ships covers ships and how pirates
obtained them. Pirate Treasure explains how
pirates searched for targets, ways in which they stole
the treasure, and different types of booty.
According
to the publisher, the reading level is Grades 3-4 and
the interest level is Grades 3-9. While no information
is provided on the authors, Sarah Knott, the Director of
the Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, Florida, served as
the series’ consultant. A few times, I found the
generalization of facts to not quite ring true because
they don’t apply to pirates throughout history, but
children just beginning to learn about pirates won’t be
aware of this. On the whole, the information provided is
accurate and the presentation is absorbing. The
interesting narrative flows from one page to the next,
and the stunning artwork captures the reader’s eyes.
While the price is a bit dear, there are few pirate
books written for children who have graduated from
picture books, but aren’t quite ready for volumes aimed
at older children and young adults. It is an excellent
introduction to piracy that may spur children to
investigate the topic further.
Visit
Liam O'Donnell
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
The Pirate's Plot
The
Pirate’s Plot
by
Ellen Miles
Scholastic,
2006, ISBN 0-439-59709-9, US $4.99 / Can $6.99
Leo
loves soccer – it is essentially his life – but the new
coach insists on doing boring drills. He takes all the
fun out of playing soccer. Leo blurts out in class one
day that he’s going to quit the team. Mr. Taylor, his
teacher, gets Leo to explain why. He has a big decision
to make, but needs to think more about the problem. To
help take Leo’s mind off his dilemma, Mr. Taylor asks
Leo to name five items for Mr. Taylor to weave into a
tale. Leo decides on a story that includes a pirate
ship, a six-toed cat, a big chunk of cheese, a brass
key, and a mop. Before long, Mr. Taylor spins a yarn
about a lad named Tom who hitches a ride on a ship. He
just doesn’t know there are pirates aboard!
Part
of the series “Taylor-made Tales,” The Pirate’s Plot
deftly weaves a modern-day problem with traitorous
crewmembers in league with pirates. Children ages seven
to ten will enjoy learning how Tom and Leo work out
their problems. Finding Leo’s five items amidst the
pirate story keeps readers tuned into the adventure. By
story’s end, they’ll all wish they had a teacher like
Mr. Taylor, who’s a rare treasure indeed. At the same
time, The Pirate’s Plot introduces readers to
wooden sailing ships and life at sea. The story is also
suitable for reading aloud to younger children.
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
Pirateology
Pirateology
Candlewick
Press, 2006, ISBN 076363143-4, US $19.99 / CAN $27.99
Arabella
Drummond, a notorious pirate and Blackbeard’s sister,
witnesses her brother’s death at the hands of Lieutenant
Maynard. In a terrible rage, she pillages the Caribbean
and east coast of North America. After she has the
audacity to rob Governor Samuel Shute of Massachusetts,
he hires Captain William Lubber to hunt her down. In
June 1726, the hunter and hunted come together in a
fierce battle at sea, but neither is heard from again.
Not until divers uncover a sea chest off the Grand Banks
of Newfoundland is Lubber’s tale told, this time from
the grave. Among the contents of the chest is his
journal. Within its pages he recounts his adventures,
interspersing facts about pirates and artifacts he’s
collected during his hunt for this particular pirate.
Except
for the tale about Blackbeard’s fatal meeting with
Maynard, the tale of Arabella is fiction. The
information on pirates and the samples of privateering
documents, diagrams, charts, and other artifacts are
factual. Pirateology allows young readers to
safely explore the lives of buccaneers and learn about
ships, navigation, the Jolly Roger, famous pirates,
weaponry, treasure, pirate havens, nautical language,
and exotic wildlife. What sets this book apart from most
is that Arabella’s exploits introduce readers to pirates
from around the world, rather than just emphasizing
those of the Caribbean. Although the publisher says the
book is for children six and older, the actual audience
is somewhat older. Younger children may enjoy the
pictures, but the text and documents are aimed at those
who can read and are eager to explore with care. An
excellent introduction to pirates, with the caveat that
some of the information included is fiction rather than
fact.
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
The Pirate Princess and Other Fairy Tales
The
Pirate Princess and Other Fairy Tales
by
Neil Philip
Illustrated
by Mark Weber
Scholastic,
2005, ISBN 0-590-10855-7, US $19.99 / Can $24.99
In
the opening decade of the nineteenth century, Rabbi
Nahman Ben Simha of Bratslav, told fairy tales to his
followers. This collection of seven stories features
people who dream and dare to do new things. Treasures
are sought and found, but they found aren’t always what
the seekers expect. Neil Philip adapts these fairy tales
that originally incorporated Hasidic and Kabbalistic
traditions so the general reader can enjoy Rabbi
Nahman’s gift of storytelling.
Only
two tales involve pirates. The title story is about a
princess who becomes a pirate in order to find true
love. “The Merchant and the Poor Man” concerns an
emperor’s daughter, whom a pirate captures. The
remaining stories involve a man who shows the king what
true happiness is; a princess jealous of her brother; a
poor man who searches for treasure faraway when it’s
actually much closer to home; a prince who thinks he’s a
turkey; and a princess imprisoned in the Evil One’s
castle.
These
traditional fairy tales, sometimes with unexpected
twists, will delight and entertain readers of all ages.
While those not versed in Hasidic teachings may not
fully comprehend the story notes found at the end of the
book, this in no way impedes the reader’s enjoyment of
the stories.
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
The Giant Rat of
Sumatra or Pirates Galore
The
Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore
by
Sid Fleischman
HarperCollins
Children’s Books, 2005, ISBN 978-9-06-074240-9, US$5.99 /
CAN$7.99
When
pirates rescue him after his ship sinks,
twelve-years-old Shipwreck’s life begins. As Captain
Gallows’ cabin boy aboard The Giant Rat of Sumatra,
the most notorious pirate ship of the Pacific. They are
bound for San Diego, where Gallows plans to retire and
Shipwreck hopes to find passage to Boston to reunite
with his mother. Once they dock, Gallows entrusts his
most prized possessions to Shipwreck – emeralds as big
as walnuts and the eyes of the giant rat adorning the
ship’s bow. Their plans for the future should unfold
without a hitch, but less trustworthy pirates plot to
steal the emeralds; banditos, led by a mysterious lady,
rob them on their return from Captain Gallows’ new
ranch; and war breaks out between the United States and
Mexico, preventing Shipwreck from sailing for home.
Even
though much of this tale takes place on land, Newbery
Medalist Sid Fleischman makes these pirate adventures as
exciting as those at sea. Ingenuity is a key weapon in
the pirate’s arsenal, and no one displays this better
than Captain Gallows. Living with pirates has taught
Shipwreck much about life, but it isn’t until he
ventures ashore that he learns an important lesson.
Tales of pirates who prowled Pacific waters are rare,
but The Giant Rat of Sumatra introduces young
readers of chapter books to piracy on the other side of
the world. Fleischman’s desire to mix in some
little-known American history adds spice to the
salmagundi.
Visit
Sid Fleischman
Sid Fleischman answers childrens' questions
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
Blackbeard's Last
Fight
Blackbeard’s
Last Fight
by
Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated
by Leonard Everett Fisher
Farrar,
Straus and Giroux, April 2006, ISBN 0-374-30780-6, US $17.00
/ CAN $23.75
Jeremy
Hobbs, the cabin boy aboard the HMS Pearl,
accompanies Lieutenant Maynard on a visit to the
governor of Virginia. Alexander Spotswood recruits them
to hunt down and destroy Blackbeard, one of the most
feared pirates to prey upon the American Colonies. The
governor lacks the authority to send Maynard into North
Carolina waters, so this is a secret mission, one Jeremy
eagerly wants to join.
Aboard
the Jane with Lieutenant Maynard, Jeremy listens
to the sailors’ tales of Blackbeard until they arrive at
their destination--Ocracoke Inlet. While Jeremy eats
hardtack and dried beef in total darkness, the pirates
entertain themselves aboard the Adventure. At
dawn, the fight begins, but things never go according to
plan, and Jeremy plays a far greater role in bringing
about Blackbeard’s demise than he ever expects.
A
picture book for older children, this captivating tale
blends the myths and facts about Blackbeard in such a
way that this notorious villain becomes a living pirate.
He is fearsome and ruthless, but with a heart, at least
where Jeremy is concerned. The colorful artwork conveys
the message of good over evil while presenting a
realistic portrayal of Blackbeard and his downfall that
enhances the story without being gruesome. Blackbeard’s
Last Fight provides younger readers (ages 8 and
up) with a wonderful introduction to learn more about
this particular pirate.
Visit
Eric A. Kimmel
Book
Review Copyright © 2006 Cindy Vallar
The Pirate Meets the
Queen
The
Pirate Meets the Queen
by Matt Faulkner
Philomel
Books, 2005, ISBN 0-399-24038-1, $15.99 US / $23.50 CAN
Granny
O’Malley loves the sea. When her mother forbids her to
sail aboard her father’s Stallion, she chops off
her hair and dresses in boys’ clothes and stows aboard
the galley. Ma refuses to be deterred; Granny soon finds
herself wed to an Irish chief’s son. Even this fails to
keep her from her first love, and over the years she
becomes a fine sailor and fiercesome pirate. Her
constant attacks on English ships so angers Red Liz that
the Queen declares Granny an outlaw. Her kinfolk suffer
for Granny’s piracy, but she protects them as best she
can.
When
her son, Toby, turns seventeen, he captains his own
vessel, but his recklessness leads to his capture.
Knowing the English will hang her son, Granny visits Red
Liz in faraway London to ask for a pardon for Toby.
This
“illuminated tale” introduces two remarkable women to
children--Grace O’Malley and Elizabeth I. Told in the
first person, Granny relates the important events in her
life that eventually lead to her famous meeting with the
English Queen, her enemy. The author confesses in his
note to readers “that some of what I’ve written is true
and some of it is a little fanciful. It’s the way of
storytelling.” This is what makes The Pirate Meets
the Queen a captivating story. He remains true to
the known facts with one exception. He confuses Granny’s
first marriage with that of her second. This is a minor
foible, and one that doesn’t detract from the rich
details and fascinating life that Granny leads. The
illustrations capture the essence of Ireland, and enrich
this tale of how far a mother will go to protect her
child.
Meet
Matt Faulkner
Book Review Copyright © 2005 Cindy Vallar
The Big Book of
Pirates
The
Big Book of Pirates
by Chuck Tessaro
Illustrated
by Anatoly Slepkov
Running
Press, 2004, ISBN 0-7624-1624-6, US $9.98/ CAN $13.95/ UK
£8.99
Who
were the pirates? How did they live? What happened to
them? These are some of the questions this children’s
book explores. The author defines the various words for
pirates and looks at where pirates preyed. Different
types of pirate ships and how to navigate them are also
discussed. There are short biographies on Henry Morgan,
Captain Kidd, Mary Read, Anne Bonny, Blackbeard, Stede
Bonnett, Sam Bellamy, and Bartholomew Roberts. The book
also covers fictional pirates, shipwrecks, and piracy
today.
The
uninitiated reader will find a lot of useful details and
depth about piracy here, but not all the facts are as
well researched as they should be. For example, the
author refers to Marque of Letters, whereas most
historians and pirate aficionados know privateers
carried Letters of Marque. Some of the quartermaster’s
duties actually belonged to the boatswain. The
difference between the red flag and the black one are
reversed. The statement that experts believe pirates
wore earrings to improve their eyesight is false.
Another problem is that dates aren’t always provided,
which leaves the reader thinking the information
pertains to all time periods, when in actuality the
opposite is true.
Unlike
many picture books, the material is geared for older
children who want more information, but still like
wonderful illustrations that show true pirates. The book
is a good introduction to piracy, but readers should
consult other books as well.
Book Review Copyright ©2005 Cindy Vallar
The Barefoot Book
of Pirates
The
Barefoot Book of Pirates
Retold by Richard Walker
Illustrations
by Olywyn Whelan
Barefoot
Books, 1998, ISBN 1-84148-886-0, $9.99
These
seven folktales is devoted to pirates come from
Scandinavia, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Scotland,
and Morocco. They involve magic, adventure, good and bad
pirates, cleverness, and danger. “The Captain’s Goose”
makes a pirate captain a king. Robin Hood rescues
fishermen from pirates instead of peasants from the
Sheriff of Nottingham in “Robin Hood and the Pirates.”
An unseen visitor befriends a cabin boy in “The Kobold
and the Pirates.” “Pirate Grace” relates what happens
when a lord dares to snub the pirate queen. A fiddler
escapes from pirates in “Music Charms the Pirates.”
Stolen bells reveal the pirates’ location in “The Abbey
Bells.” “The Ship of Bones” recounts how pirates rescue
stranded passengers after their boat sinks.
Anyone
seeking different stories to share with their children
should consider this entertaining collection of pirate
folktales. They’re excellent for storytelling in front
of audiences of all ages. Ms. Whelan’s drawings
complement the stories and bring them to life.
Book Review Copyright ©2004 Cindy Vallar
Pirate's Passage
Pirate's
Passage
by William Gilkerson
Trumpeter
Books for Young Readers, 2006, US $17.95 / CAN $25.95
ISBN
1-59030-247-8
A
fierce storm blows along the coast of Nova Scotia one
dreary mid-November afternoon in 1952. Twelve-year-old
Jim sits in his room overlooking the bay, trying to work
on his school essay on pirates while his mother works
downstairs in the family hotel, which has fallen on hard
times. Outside, an unexpected sailboat docks at the
pier, and Captain Charles Johnson asks to stay the
winter while repairs are made to his vessel. There is an
aura of mystery to this stranger, but he soon weaves his
way into the lives of those at the inn and the
townspeople. His down-to-earth tales of pirates
captivate Jim, but sometimes Jim senses something
sinister in the captain. Still, he helps Jim and his
mother out of several jams, including the loss of their
home, the rescue of their cannon, and thwarting the town
bullies.
Pirate’s
Passage is reminiscent of Treasure Island,
but with a modern-day setting. Told in the first person,
Jim intersperses episodes of his life with his
encounters and friendship with Captain Johnson, a man
who seems to have intimate knowledge about pirates, as
if he had lived amongst them. But that’s impossible!
Somewhat a coming-of-age novel, it is also a history of
piracy, although most of the information is delivered in
dialogue rather than in action scenes. Adventure and
intrigue go hand-in-hand with self-discovery, making
this a laid-back tale of pirates, friends, and making
choices.
Meet William Gilkerson
Book Review Copyright ©2006
Cindy Vallar
The Country Pirate
The
Country Pirate
by P. E. Alty
Kindle,
2005, $1.21
In
1716 Sam leads a humdrum existence, cleaning The Four
Keys Inn that caters to pirates each day and taking his
mother’s abuse while steering clear of his drunken
father. One day Sam finds a coin and a jewel while doing
his chores. The disappearance of his older brother and
the succulent taste of a freshly baked bun awaken in Sam
the urge to change his life, to seek out Daniel, and to
travel as far from the southwest coast of England as he
can.
Each
night before the pirates arrive, Old Tom – himself a
retired pirate with a mysterious past – takes his post
inside the inn and announces new arrivals. Sam discovers
Old Tom is a pickpocket, and the two join in partnership
to fleece the unsuspecting patrons. Sam begins his
lessons with observation – watching and listening to see
which pirates won’t miss their treasured booty. Among
the regular customers, Sam notices one pirate captain
who always sits alone, who never utters a word.
Sam’s
mother suspects something is afoot, but can’t say what.
One night, after Sam retires, she and Sam’s father catch
Old Tom stealing a ring from a pirate. A deadly fight
ensues between Old Tom and Sam’s father, and Sam finds
himself fleeing the only home he’s known because his
mother vows to accuse him of the murders. His only place
of refuge is Old Tom’s cottage, hidden deep in the woods
where no one ventures. Once inside, Sam finds he’s not
alone. The mysterious pirate captain from the inn waits
there, and he has plans of his own for Sam’s future.
Although
this story takes place entirely on land, P. E. Alty
succeeds in making it very much a pirate tale. I hadn’t
expected the secret that’s unveiled halfway through the
book, for there are no signs to alert the reader ahead
of time, but the story flows without skipping a beat.
The skills of a copyeditor would have been a plus, but
these minor mistakes in no way detract from this
adventure. The pirates remain true to history, although
the bloodthirstiness often associated with them is toned
down. The Country Pirate starts at a slow pace,
but once the author introduces the characters and the
action unfolds, it’s a rousing tale for young adults and
adults seeking treasure akin to that found in Treasure
Island.
Book Review Copyright ©2006 Cindy Vallar
Operation Red
Jericho
Operation
Red Jericho
By Joshua Mowll
Candlewick
Press, 2005, ISBN 0-7636-2634-1, US $15.99/ CAN $22.99
Fifteen-year-old
Rebecca MacKenzie and her younger brother, Doug, find
themselves aboard the Expedient in 1920 Shanghai. There
they meet their uncle, Captain Fitzroy MacKenzie, for
the first time. The arrival of an injured visitor, a
tiger stalking the decks, and forbidden sections of the
ship provide additional pieces to the complicated puzzle
surrounding the disappearance of their parents while on
an expedition to a remote area in China--a mystery
Rebecca intends to solve no matter what danger the
journey brings.
Her
investigation reveals the existence of a secret society
and the quest for a powerful substance that could
destroy the world if it fell into the wrong hands. As
the siblings follow the clues, a mysterious man dressed
in a white suit tricks them into stowing aboard a junk
bound for the island fortress of a most evil pirate.
While in captivity, they meet a female barnstormer,
who’s been a prisoner long enough to know the secrets of
the pirate lair, and she warns them their uncle is
walking into a fatal trap unless they find a way to
alert him to the danger before it’s too late.
Written
for older children and young adults, this adventure is
the first in a series of three books involving the
MacKenzies and their search for their parents. The tale
has the feel of an old Charlie Chan movie or a radio
drama like The Shadow. The confidential
artifacts and documents that accompany the text add the
authentic feel of a real-life, spy-mission dossier,
leaving the reader to wonder whether the tale is fact or
fiction.
Meet Author Joshua Mowll
Read an Excerpt from Operation Red Jericho
Book Review Copyright ©2005 Cindy Vallar
Pirates!
Pirates and
Privateers
