Pirates & Privateers: Ricardo Means Ybarra's Books

Paradise Cove, a mobile home park, is home to Rafi, a ten-year-old who loves his black cat. One day, Scratch goes missing and Rafi is frantic to find him. He searches everywhere, but has no luck and has to wait until his father comes home. When an earthquake strikes while Rafi and his dad are on the bluff overlooking the ocean, they tumble onto a pirate ship.

Captain Pinky and his band are a scurvy, nasty group of men who trick Rafi out of his gold coin and imprison his father in the hold. Ollie, the cook, and Matt, the cabin boy, help Rafi elude the pirates. That’s when he discovers Scratchy, his pet cat’s twin. Together they free Rafi’s dad and escape from the pirates, but where will they go? They’re in the middle of the ocean. How will they get home? Will the pirates come after them?

This fast-paced adventure will keep young pirates on the edge of their seats as they find out what happens to Rafi and his father. From start to finish, this is a believable tale with well-drawn characters that come to life as the story progresses. How delightful to read a tale with Latino characters taking center stage that’s in English and doesn’t romanticize villains! Rafi’s ingenuity and love for his father and cat make this a tale readers will remember long after the story ends. Scratch and the Pirates of Paradise Cove is far more precious than the gold doubloons it costs to buy.