Pirates & Privateers: Books for Pirate Apprentices -- Historical Fiction

Blackbeard’s Last Fight
by Eric A. Kimmel
illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006, ISBN 0-374-30780-6, US $17.00 / CAN $23.75

Jeremy Hobbs, the cabin boy aboard 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 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 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.

Sample Page (Source:
Publisher, used with permission,
image copyrighted)

Sample Pages (Source:
Publisher, used with permission,
image copyrighted)

Sample pages
(Source: Publisher, used with permission, images copyrighted)

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 pirate apprentices (ages 8 and up) with a wonderful introduction to learn more about this particular pirate.

Meet the author

The Buccaneers
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte Press, 2001, ISBN 0-385-32736-6

Bound for the West Indies, John Spencer sets sail aboard Dragon in 1803. When he sights a lifeboat with one passenger in the middle of the ocean, his adventure truly begins. Is Horn a Jonah as the gunner believes, or is he the one man whose knowledge of the Caribbean can help John and his crew survive these treacherous waters? Sharks may inhabit the sea, but so does Bartholomew Grace, a cruel pirate who gives no quarter to his prey.

The final book in The High Seas Trilogy, this is not your normal tale of pirates and high seas adventure. Iain Lawrence’s portrayal of life aboard wooden sailing ships and bloodthirsty pirates has gritty realism that dares the reader to turn each page. The Buccaneers is not for the fainthearted. Aimed at older young adults, particularly males, this stand-alone novel will also satisfy adults searching for historical maritime adventure without the romanticism often associated with piracy literature. A perfect tale to read aloud on a moonless night while seated around the campfire.

Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, Novel 2001 issue

Buried Treasure: A Pirate's Tale
by Carroll Harrison Kehne, Jr.
Cornell Maritime Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-87033-601-0, US $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.

Captain Hannah Pritchard: The Hunt for Pirate Gold
by Bonnie Pryor
Enslow Publishers, 2011, ISBN 978-0-7660-3817-2, US $27.93 / CAN $27.57 / UK £17.06

After escaping from a British prison ship and evading a sea monster, Hannah Pritchard, Captain Dobbs, the cook, and Daniel arrive in their home port of Portsmouth in 1780, aboard a captured schooner. Also docked in the New Hampshire port is the privateer painted to resemble a sea monster.

The former prisoners rest and recuperate among friends while Dobbs oversees the hiring of new crewmen and arranging for cargo so they can put out to sea again. Unable to find merchants willing to risk sending their wares by sea during the war, Dobbs goes to Philadelphia to obtain a commission from the navy. During his absence, Daniel spends time with the men from the sea monster privateer. Tales of their exploits amaze him, but Hannah isn’t convinced. Something doesn’t quite add up, and she’s relieved when Dobbs refuses to partner with the other privateer captain upon his return from Philadelphia.

Once the schooner sets sail again, Dobbs reveals their secret mission. Only then can they retrieve the chest of gold they buried on an island in the Outer Banks before the British captured them. The sea monster’s captain has heard whispers of that gold and has no intention of giving up such a prize. If he and his crew succeed in stealing the gold, Hannah fears the worst. Will she and her mates outfox their new enemy, evade the British, succeed in their mission, and retrieve the gold?

This is the final book in the Hannah Pritchard series for young readers, but it’s filled with exciting adventures and danger lurks around every corner. Pryor centers part of her tale on the French assistance that helped the Americans win the Revolutionary War. She ably demonstrates that not all privateers are as interested in defeating the enemy as they are in amassing wealth and that there is a fine line between privateering and piracy. Although Hannah’s elevation to captain is a poignant ending to the series, it also demonstrates the value of friendship, loyalty, and honor. The book concludes with a discussion of the real history behind the story and a list of resources readers can consult for additional information.

Review Copyright ©2011 Cindy Vallar

The Country Pirate
by P. E. Alty
Independently Published, 2005, US $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, 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.

The Dagger Quick
by Brian Eames
Simon & Schuster, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4424-2311-4, US $15.99 / CAN $18.99

At twelve years of age, Kitto Wheale often finds himself in trouble. Either Simon Sneed and his fellow bullies are after him, or he spends too much time down at the seawall, longing to sail on one of the vessels going out with the tide. That dream seems impossible because of his club foot. When a sea captain visits his father’s cooperage, Kitto discovers that his real name is Quick and the sea captain is his uncle. Before his father becomes a respectable cooper, he and Uncle William are members of Henry Morgan’s crew until they steal some of Morgan’s treasure.

After Frederick Wheale goes straight, William turns to piracy and spends seven years in a Spanish prison. Now, he and his fellow pirates of Blessed William intend to retrieve the stolen treasure, but they need Frederick and Kitto’s help. They aren’t the only ones in search of the stolen loot. Morgan’s henchmen, Captain John Morris and Spider, follow William to England, and in an attempt to capture Frederick, he is slain and Kitto is accused his murder.

Uncle William rescues Kitto, who vows to fulfill his father’s promise to assist in recovering the treasure. The one problem is there’s a traitor among them, but William doesn’t know who. News arrives that Morris intends to sell Kitto’s six-year-old brother, Duck, to an African tribal chieftain as a slave, and use Sarah, Kitto’s stepmother, as bait to secure the treasure. Will Kitto be able to rescue Duck before it’s too late? Will they be able to save Sarah? And who amongst them has betrayed them to Morris?

Set during 1678, The Dagger Quick is a fast-paced action -adventure tale whose main character doesn’t fit in. He feels sorry for himself, yet as the story progresses, he finds his inner strength that allows him to cope with his club foot and become a young man who can lead others and face danger, especially to keep others safe. The other members of the cast are equally well-drawn and complex. The reader learns early on who the traitor is and discovers that the reason he betrays Quick and his other mates isn’t as clear-cut a deed as one may expect. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, which is written for young pirate readers, but the ending is a bit of a letdown because some issues are resolved while others remain open.

Read an excerpt

The Day the Pirates Went Mad
by Trevor Atkins
Silverpath Publishing, 2021, ISBN 978-1989459027, US $11.95
Also available in other formats

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 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.

Learn more about the series

Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, February 2022 issue

Cover Art: 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-year-old Shipwreck’s life begins as Captain Gallows’s 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 – emeralds as big as walnuts and the eyes of the giant rat adorning the ship’s bow – to Shipwreck. 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’s 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 prowl 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.

Meet the author

Girl Before the Legend
by S. K. Minnis
ViaNova Productions, 2024, e-book ISBN 979-9-9888215-7-1, US $8.99
Also available in other formats

Jacquotte Delahaye. The name may mean nothing to most readers, or perhaps a few have heard of this female buccaneer of the 17th century. Mystery surrounds her . . . if she ever exists. If Jacquotte is a real person, who is she and what transpires to make her become a fearsome pirate captain? This is the premise of Minnis’s new trilogy, The Red Pirate, and Girl Before the Legend recounts how Jacquotte goes on the account.

A carnival comes to the village where Jacquotte lives. She has a wonderful time with her father and younger brother until she swipes a necklace she covets. She can purchase it, but doing so lacks adventure and that is something she craves. Perhaps because of her father’s many stories of his adventures. Perhaps because she already knows what life has ordained for her, and she’s not particularly thrilled with getting married and obeying society’s rules.

Sometimes, wishes are granted, but not in the way we expect or want. That night, intruders come. Her father takes Jacquotte and her brother into the smuggler’s tunnels under the house. After making sure they are hidden, he surrenders to the English soldiers and before Jacquotte’s eyes, they kill him. She exacts retribution, but in the process, her brother is traumatized. The two must leave even though a storm rages. They set sail in a boat, which causes Etienne further health problems. At sixteen, Jacquotte is too young and lacks the means to take care of him, especially after wanted posters for her appear. If they are to survive, she has only one choice: surrender Etienne into the safekeeping of others while she flees the island aboard her father’s ship. Who’s going to allow a girl aboard a pirate ship? And once there, how can she reclaim what rightfully belongs to her?

This coming-of-age story deftly shows how a series of unconnected events lead Jacquotte onto paths she never expects. At the same time, she must come to grips with what happens to her. Although no specific time frame is provided, references are made to the period when Lord Protectors rule England during the 1650s. Minnis crafts a realistic pirate tale with touches of swashbuckling adventure in which there are always consequences to face. The only misstep is making Paragon, her father’s ship, a galleon, which in real-life does not possess the sailing qualities needed for these adventures. Revenge, secret codes, a treasure map, slave trading, mysticism, and empire-building are just some of the interwoven threads that make for riveting, action-packed exploits.

Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution
by Bonnie Pryor
Enslow Publishers, 2008, 978-0-7660-2851-7, UK £6.99 / US $27.93

With Britain and America at war, living on the outskirts of civilization is risky. Hannah Pritchard’s father ignores neighbors’ suggestions to move the family to a safer location. Then British soldiers and Iroquois warriors attack the homestead. Only Hannah survives because she is out picking berries and seeks shelter in a cave. Mr. Van der Beck finds her and arranges for Hannah to go to Boston to live with her grandmother. Once there, Hannah learns her grandmother, a devout Tory, left with the British.

Although Mr. Van der Beck gives her the name of his sister, who owns a tavern in Portsmouth, should Hannah need someone, she has no money to purchase a ticket for the stagecoach. She decides to sell her mother’s silver candlesticks to their maker, Paul Revere. At first, she’s accused of being a thief, but the silversmith soon sorts everything out and arranges for her transportation.

Lottie and Madeline welcome Hannah with open arms. The work is hard, but she soon finds herself making new friends. In her off hours, Hannah likes to wander the wharves and watch the arriving and departing seamen and ships. Unable to resist the call of the sea and wanting revenge for the murder of her family, Hannah dons her brother’s clothes – which provided her a means of safer passage from her farm to Boston – and signs aboard as the cabin boy and cook’s helper of Sea Hawk, a privateer commanded by Captain Jones.

As Jack Pritchard, Hannah keeps her true identity a secret as she learns the ropes. She befriends another new seaman named Daniel, but she has an enemy aboard. Larson holds a grudge against her because she got the job his nephew should have. Making life miserable for Hannah is his way of getting even, but it also gets her into trouble. If that’s not enough of a problem, they are at sea for one purpose – capturing enemy ships – and sooner or later, she must come face-to-face with the enemy. Will she get the revenge she seeks, or will she get captured and face charges of piracy?

This fourteen-chapter book is written for children, particularly girls, in grades three through six and is part of Enslow’s Historical Fiction Adventure series. Since it is based on real historical events, each book ends with “The Real History behind the Story,” a recommended reading list of other pirate stories – fictional and true – and websites to visit for additional information on the American Revolution and privateers.

Pryor vividly portrays the reality of war as seen through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Hannah, who must make her own way in the world. Her adventures allow young readers to safely visit colonial New England while venturing alongside Hannah as she begins a new life fraught with adventure and danger. Fans of the Jacky Faber series will enjoy Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution as will readers who want a young heroine who takes risks and stands up for herself.

Jean Laffite: The Pirate Who Saved America
by 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 / UK £11.99

Growing up in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), Jean Laffite dreams of becoming a pirate. His grandmother frowns on such ideas, preferring he and his brother Pierre study and help others through writing. She also tells them stories about how Spain persecutes 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 will 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 comes 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. A 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 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 the narrative 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 are Jewish and it is unlikely that Alexander, more commonly known as Dominique You, is his brother. One of the sources Rubin consults is The Journal of Jean Laffite, which is not actually written by him even though it is attributed to him. While Jean Laffite, Gentleman Rover is written by a respected historian, Stanley Clisby Arthur used the journal 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 a biography is sought, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Meet the author
View the teacher's discussion guide

Review Copyright ©2012 Cindy Vallar

Kemosha of the Caribbean
by Alex Wheatle
Black Sheep, 2022, ISBN 978-1-61775-982-6, US $15.95
Also available in other formats

Fifteen and a slave. One who is curious, always asking questions. Kemosha also has dreams. No matter what she witnesses or endures, she refuses to allow Captain Tate or any overseer on the plantation to take away her dreams. One day she will be free!

Tate has different plans. He sells her to Quartermaster Antock Powell – a move that separates her from her little brother and her friends. Kemosha will be a welcome addition to the tavern that Powell owns. She can cook and she is chaste; with her dark skin, his patrons will pay extra for a night with her. Frightened, Kemosha has no choice but to go with her new master, but she vows to one day return to free those she loves.

When her worst fears are realized, Kemosha defends herself and then runs. As a free Black man, Ravenhide understands what awaits her if she’s found. He hides her from her pursuers and afterwards, trains her to fight with a sword. Once Kemosha can hold her own, he arranges a duel between her and Powell. If she wins, she will be free. Fulfilling one dream isn’t enough. Those left behind deserve their freedom too, but that requires money.

Ravenhide, a cooper, sometimes goes buccaneering with Captain Henry Morgan, who is planning a raid on Porto Bello. When word spreads of this new venture, Kemosha insists on joining Ravenhide at sea, even though she’s never set foot beyond Port Royal. Much to everyone’s surprise, Morgan hires her as his cook. Going to sea is fraught with peril, especially since both Powell and the customer she knifed will also be sailing with Morgan. Kemosha soon realizes that dreams and reality differ, sometimes in frightening ways.

The story’s first-person narrative provides young adult readers with a startling, yet realistic portrayal of slavery, 17th-century piracy, and Port Royal (and Jamaica) as it was, rather than as Hollywood often portrays the pirate haven. The one drawback is the use of dialect, which only occurs in dialogue. It may give the feel of authenticity to the story, but it distracts readers and is sometimes difficult to decipher. Although some may object to Kemosha’s relationship with another girl, this is a but a fraction of the story as a whole.

While Kemosha may be a product of her times, her dreams, thoughts, and emotional reactions are ones to which modern readers will readily relate. She is a Black heroine who struggles to survive in a world that relegates her to the status of property, yet time and again she shows everyone that she is a person. Morgan’s 1688 raid on Portobello is considered one of the highlights of the Buccaneer Era and, while Kemosha doesn’t participate in the actual sacking, the aftermath that she witnesses is a raw and gut-wrenching portrayal that provides readers with a vivid glimpse into both the realities of her world and the emotions she experiences.

Cover
Art: Pirate Hannah Pritchard
Captured!

Pirate Hannah Pritchard Captured!
by Bonnie Pryor
Enslow, 2010, ISBN 978-0-7660-3310-8, US $27.93

The second adventure in the Hannah Pritchard series finds our heroine, disguised as her brother Jack, climbing aloft Majestic, a captured British ship. A privateer for the Americans, Hannah soon returns to Sea Hawk with her friends: Daniel, Dobbs, and Ratso. When Hannah and her mates find themselves surrounded by fog off the Carolina coast, they discover they not only have to fear the dangerous coastline, but also the British warship hunting them.

The drunken first mate engages the warship, rather than pretending to be escorting a captured American prize. Outgunned and outmanned, the two vessels can’t escape. Captain Nelson sends Hannah and her friends ashore with the gold, which they bury. Their plans to escape are soon ended, and they find themselves prisoners of war. Since the British don’t recognize privateers as legitimate prisoners, they are considered pirates. Rather than hang, they are imprisoned in an overcrowded warehouse. Each day, the cruel warden comes and removes several men who never come back.

Before long, Hannah and her friends are the ones who are summoned. They aren’t hanged. Rather they must row themselves out to Jersey, a former ship turned into a prison hulk where smallpox and other diseases run rampant and cruel guards take out their anger on the prisoners. Will Hannah and her friends survive?

For those who want to know more about the history behind this story, there are several pages at the end devoted to food at sea, wartime prisons, prison ships, and other historical events incorporated into Hannah’s tale. There is also a list of fiction and nonfiction books to read and websites to visit to learn more about sailors and women during the American Revolution.

This action-packed story presents often overlooked facets of the American Revolution, privateers and prisoners of war. The gritty reality of life aboard a prison hulk, particularly one with the worst reputation during the war, is vividly portrayed and readers will find themselves holding their breath to see what happens next. Pryor doesn’t romanticize war and how it affects people, and by portraying young characters amidst the action, readers come to learn that war involves people of all ages, not just adults.

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.

Sample page
(Source: Publisher, used with permission, image copyrighted)

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.

Pirates!
by Celia Rees
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2003, ISBN 1-58234-816-2, US $17.95

Nancy Kington, daughter of a Bristol, England, merchant, has come of marriageable age. She lives a comfortable life and expects to marry her childhood friend, William, once he becomes an officer in the Royal Navy. A wicked storm changes Mr. Kington's fortunes. When he asks if she will do whatever she must to secure their future, Nancy has no idea what she promises.

Not until after her father's unexpected death and her voyage to their plantation in Jamaica does she learn the truth. She must wed a most sinister man, Bartholome the Brazilian. From the moment she arrives at his estate, she senses her life will change. By evening's end, she loses her childhood innocence and kills an overseer.

Minerva, a young slave girl whom Nancy befriends, flees with Nancy after the murder. When pirates come ashore near where they hide, the two girls discover that Nancy knows the captain and several of the pirates -- the men crew the ship that brought her to Jamaica. After a council meeting, the pirates agree to allow the women to sign their articles of agreement and go on the account. No matter how far they travel or what riches they acquire, Nancy finds herself hunted. The Royal Navy, including her beloved William, is determined to rid the Caribbean of pirates and Bartholome will stop at nothing to possess her!

Written as a diary, Pirates! is a gritty and realistic portrayal of pirate life. Although riches abound, Nancy and Minerva's adventures do not glitter. They are fraught with peril, intrigue, and evil. Celia Rees's rendering of early 18th-century life for two young women -- one white, one black; one free, one slave -- provides a vivid portrayal of reality for young adult readers. The hints of sorcery and magic flavor the tale perfectly so that the sinister Bartholome becomes a devil to fear.

Minerva understands the problems of living in two worlds and knows where she belongs. She makes her own way in the world, accepting the restraints society places on her. She prizes her freedom and skillfully achieves her goal in unexpected ways. Despite her misgivings and trepidation, Nancy is a heroine to admire. She accepts the hand fate deals hers, but on her terms and as she does so, she matures into a wise woman who never forgets who she is or what she was. Notwithstanding adversity, she never loses hope.

Privateer’s Apprentice
by Susan Verrico
Peachtree, 2012, ISBN 978-1-56145-633-8, US $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 expects 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. 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 – mapmaking. The minor characters are a bit stereotypical, and the tale never quite reaches the level of excitement and suspense middle readers may 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.

Meet the author

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 he will be governor. Before they arrive, pirates attack their ship. One pirate finds her, but she barters a diamond ring for his silence. James Sterling also steals a kiss before the pirates return to Phantom Mist and sail away. When her father is jailed for being in league with the pirates, who steal the treasure the king entrusts 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 maroons with James upon discovering that James hasn’t been as forthright as he should have about the treasure belowdecks 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 takes 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 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 on 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 will 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 will not see this yet, for her horizon differs from his because the lookout sees a greater distance than she can since he’s aloft and she’s on the deck. Nor will Crimson Kelly use a galleon, a cumbersome vessel that is difficult to handle and displaces a lot of water – characteristics that are the opposite of what pirates desire of a ship. It’s also questionable whether she will 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 is prowling the waters off West Africa by May of 1721.

Despite 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.