Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao

Written by Helaine Becker

Illustrated by Liz Wong

Groundwood Books

978-1-77306-124-5

36 pp.

Ages 6-10

March 2020

The Pirate Queen was a woman whose impact was strong but whose details are vague, if not non-existent, and so Helaine Becker has created her story. Whether the Pirate Queen started in poverty and was captured by pirates to become a captain's wife or not, the story that Helaine Becker envisions for this extraordinary woman, born in Imperial China in the late 1700s, is one of making something from nothing, rewriting her story to one of possibilities and taking control. 

In Canton, girls like us were like ink: used and used until we were all used up.

But Fortune had shaken my bones and spun the wheel of my fate.

I had been given something rare: an opportunity.

I was ink, but I could also be the brush. 

From Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker, illus. by Liz Wong

According to Helaine Becker's illustrated creative biography of the Pirate Queen, the girl refused to marry the pirate captain Zheng Yi unless he gave her an equal share in his enterprise. So, when he died six years later, she took command over more than 1800 ships and 70,000 men, never allowing any of the pirates to challenge her. Working with other squadron leaders as a council, she came to dominate the South China's seas and its economy.

From Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker, illus. by Liz Wong

But the Pirate Queen did not restrict herself to the water. She also conquered poorer coastal towns until the emperor deemed it necessary to go after her. Attacks and attempts to starve her and her Red Flag Fleet were unsuccessful, as were attacks by British, Dutch and Portuguese ships.  When she finally decided to retire from the sea, she finds a way to leave free and rich while still thinking of those beneath her.

In the end, I had written my own scroll, using brine and blood as my ink.
I had never dreamed of the sea, but the sea, it seemed, had dreamed of me.

From Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao by Helaine Becker, illus. by Liz Wong

Though Helaine Becker is a versatile writer of picture books, early readers, middle grade fiction, and non-fiction, I think she has outdone herself in this story of the Pirate Queen. Her author's note makes it clear that little is known about the Pirate Queen, whose name Zheng Yi Sao refers to her simply as "Wife of Zheng Yi" but Helaine Becker writes her a life story of smarts and cunning, seeing chances where others might see despair. But Helaine Becker doesn't just make up a story about Zheng Yi Sao; she gives it life with words and voice–the story is narrated by the Pirate Queen– that make the Pirate Queen real and even eloquent. I can just imagine this young woman with her meagre existence deciding to make something of her atrocious circumstances, believing she had nothing to lose. In the end, she gained much and made a life for herself and others.

If you've been reading CanLit for LittleCanadians, you'll know what a big fan I am of illustrated biographies and Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao will become an auspicious addition to that genre especially with American illustrator Liz Wong's pencil on bristol board (digitally coloured) art giving the richness of colour and form to the story. It's the telling of a little known historical figure whose impact was extraordinary but seldom discussed. That's about to change. Because of Helaine Becker, the Pirate Queen has had her story told and her fierceness acknowledged for the ages.

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge

Written by Jennifer Mook-Sang

Illustrated by Liz Starin

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-626-5

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

October 2017

"Monty the Malodorous was a fearsome pirate who sailed the six or seven seas.  He was brave.  He was bold." (pg. 5)  But he couldn't swim. And he certainly didn't join his mates for their weekly soakings in the ocean for a cleansing.  "This attitude earned him much respect (and a great deal of personal space)." (pg. 7)

But then Monty spies the lovely mermaid Meg.  He gives her gifts and tells her jokes and she shares her knowledge of the sea and sky with him. Though he wishes to invite her onto the ship for dinner, she declines, declaring him smelling "like stinky boots." Monty is devastated.

From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge 

by Jennifer Mook-Sang 

illus. by Liz Starin

Yet when Meg is snatched by a mega-octopus, Monty swallows his fear and takes a leap of faith and throws himself into the sea.  In a lovely twist of fate, Monty and Meg save each other and Monty becomes a sweeter-smelling swimming pirate.

From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge

by Jennifer Mook-Sang

 illus. by Liz Starin

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge is Jennifer Mook-Sang's first picture book, though she's enjoyed much success with her first middle-grade novel Speechless (Scholastic, 2015).  The same humour she used to amuse readers in that novel is evident in Captain Monty Takes a Plunge with its stinky and heartsick pirate, motley crew of a parrot, elephant, bear, rabbit and otter, and ocarina-playing mermaid.  The message of conquering one's fears is wrapped in a buoyant tale of camaraderie, infatuation, and courage.  That same buoyancy comes through in American Liz Starin's illustrations which blend bright colours for her characters with soft subtleness in the sky and sea backgrounds.

From Captain Monty Takes the Plunge 

by Jennifer Mook-Sang 

illus. by Liz Starin

Take your own plunge with Captain Monty to see that fears can be conquered with a little assistance, a lot of courage and a sizeable commitment to helping others. Yar-har-har!

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge: Book launch (Burlington, ON)

Join author

Jennifer Mook-Sang

author of Speechless

Written by Jennifer Mook-Sang

Scholastic Canada

978-1-4431-4267-0

159 pp.

Ages 8-13

2015

Reviewed here

for the launch of 
her first picture book

Captain Monty Takes the Plunge

Written by Jennifer Mook-Sang

Illustrated by Liz Starin

Kids Can Press

978-1-77138-626-5

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

October 2017

on 

Saturday, October 14, 2017

1-3 p.m.

at

A Different Drummer Books

513 Locust Street

Burlington, ON

From the publisher's website:

Monty the Malodorous is a daring pirate. He is brave. He is bold. He is feared by all who sail the six or seven seas. But Monty has a secret: he can't swim. He never goes into the ocean --- and he never takes a bath. “Real pirates don't bathe. Yar-har-har!” he says. But things change when he meets a mermaid named Meg. “Monty's heart went ka-thunk. He tumbled head over boot heels in love.” And, one day, when Meg's life is put into peril, Monty realizes he's the only one who can jump into the ocean to save her. Monty is faced with a terrible dilemma: is his love strong enough to overcome his fear?

This is engaging, heartwarming and funny picture book tale is told with originality by Jennifer Mook-Sang. Children will love Monty the pirate (who's actually a dog!), and readers with their own fears of learning to swim will relate to his difficulties. Young children will also be delighted by the idea of not having to take a bath! The childlike style of Liz Starin's illustrations add a freshness to the story, as does the non-conformist mermaid she's created --- perfect for her character. Meg is a voracious reader who knows all the best fishing spots and teaches Monty how to set course by the constellations. This playful book is an excellent choice for story time, reinforcing themes of self-discovery and personal development, as well as character education lessons on courage.

Retrieved from http://www.kidscanpress.com/products/captain-monty-takes-plunge 

on August 7, 2017.

There will: 

• a book reading

• author signing of books

• foxy bookmark-making, and

• pirate-y refreshments!

n.b. If you know you can't make this launch, which would be a shame, Jennifer Mook-Sang will be presenting Captain Monty Takes the Plunge earlier at the Toronto Word on the Street on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at the TD Children's Literature Tent. Details here

Best Pirate

Written by Kari-Lynn Winters

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-019-2

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

For release September, 2017

First she was a Bad Pirate (2015) and then she was a Good Pirate (2016) but now Augusta, daughter of Captain Barnacle Garrick, is on her way to becoming an even better pirate. That is, until she burns a hole in her father's treasure map, the one that would lead them to the same treasure the Tuna Lubbers (i.e., cats) were on their way to grab on Crossbones Island.

From Best Pirate 

by Kari-Lynn Winters 

illus. by Dean Griffiths

Scully who is supposed to retrieve the treasure is sure he can help her become that better pirate.  So he works her at being crafty and nimble and fearless.  But when she drops a cannonball on his one good foot, his treasure-seeking mission is thwarted.  Augusta is determined to make things right and heads off to the island herself.

On the island, she encounters a cat pirate just as they both fall into the pit harbouring the treasure.  As they argue over whose booty it is, they realize they have to get out first.  Scuppers is afraid–he truly is a scaredy cat–but Augusta turns on her craftiness and gets Scuppers to help her jam swords and daggers into the pit's walls.  Turning on her nimbleness, she scampers up the walls using the swords as footholds.  And when a dagger comes away and Scuppers is in danger, she sets aside her fear and reaches out a paw and saves him.  

From Best Pirate 

by Kari-Lynn Winters 

illus. by Dean Griffiths

Though Scuppers recognizes Augusta as the best pirate, deserving of the treasure, she acknowledges their teamwork as leading to their success and insists they split the booty.

From Best Pirate 

by Kari-Lynn Winters 

illus. by Dean Griffiths

Too bad that Augusta doesn't get the credit from her father for finding the treasure–he believes Scully actually retrieved it–and lauded as a hero as Scuppers is by his father and the crew of the Tuna Lubbers.  Captain Barnacle still doesn't get how accomplished his daughter is at being a pirate, though Scully, Squid and Bones and Scuppers acknowledge this readily.  Readers will certainly learn a lesson from Augusta and Kari-Lynn Winters about determination and fulfilment that comes from success without the need for accolades.  She may be a dog but she's a gutsy lassy.

Dean Griffiths, who illustrated Kari-Lynn Winters' earlier Pirate books, continues to endow the story with colour richness and opulent textures from another time, just like the recurring yellow parchment backgrounds and scroll banners. And you can almost feel the movement of the sea and smell the saltiness of the air.  Even the lushness of the island's vegetation is palpable. Of course, young readers will love the dogs and cats of all species with their distinguishing features of fur and shape as well as the wide array of their expressions: friendliness,  fear, surprise, dismay, anger.

Aye, blow me down but Best Pirate is a treasure of a fine tale for pirate lovers on both sea and land.

Greenbeard the Pirate Pig

by Andrea Torrey Balsara

FriesenPress

978-1-460285015

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

August 2016

Andrea Torrey Balsara, the illustrator behind my favourite Happy the Pocket Mouse series by Philip Roy (Ronsdale Press), has created her own lovable character in Greenbeard the Pirate Pig, a farming guinea pig entranced by the smell of the salty sea.  Greenbeard, so call because of the copious lettuce he eats which turns his beard a bright, leafy green, smells adventure and packs his bag with lettuce and carrots, dons his boots, a hat plumed with a lettuce leaf, his gardening belt into which he inserts a carrot sword (but not a sharp one because that would be dangerous), and heads to the shore.  There an elderly mouse sells him a decrepit ship for a song–which Greenbeard happily sings, not knowing the mouse means it's cheap–and proceeds to mend and patch and shine his new ship, The Golden Lettuce, until ready to sail.

From Greenbeard the Pirate Pig 

by Andrea Torrey Balsara

But what about a crew?  A gloomy rat, which the mouse owner introduces to Greenbeard as Snug Rumkin, is somehow shanghaied into accompanying Greenbeard, though his involuntary attendance becomes enthusiastic participation when he hears of possible treasure, as well as the adventure, that Greenbeard promises.

From Greenbeard the Pirate Pig

by Andrea Torrey Balsara

Greenbeard is a delight, an innocent in search of adventure, hopeful of worldly voyages.  His intent is to explore the world and enjoy life, never to engage in the nefarious activities often associated with pirates.  Of course, he’ll have to curb the pirating enthusiasm of his first mate Snug Rumkin–probably already curtailed by Greenbeard’s singing of a song he deems inappropriate (n.b. music and lyrics are included in the book)–but that’s just part of his job as captain of The Golden Lettuce.  While I would have enjoyed sharing in one of Greenbeard’s adventures, slated to be told in the upcoming Greenbeard the Pirate Pig and the Isle of Lost, Greenbeard the Pirate Pig is a delightful introduction to Andrea Torrey Balsara’s guinea pig pirate captain.  In addition to charming young readers with her cartoon characters and  characteristic long curvy lines amongst the whiskers, fur and landscape of her drawings, Andrea Torrey Balsara offers colouring pages and puzzles available at www.torreybalsara.com and www.greenbeardthepiratepig.com to entertain and empower children to be more like the invincible Greenbeard the Pirate Pig, ready to pursue adventures at the drop of a carrot.

From Greenbeard the Pirate Pig

by Andrea Torrey Balsara

Good Pirate: Book launch (Toronto's Centre Island)

Arr!  It's only 4 days away!

Join

Good Pirate
(Reviewed here)

author 
Kari-Lynn Winters 

and the scurvy crew 

at 

Pirate Life Toronto

(http://www.piratelife.ca)

on their 45-foot pirate ship 

setting sail from Toronto's Centre Island 

on 

Sunday, June 5th, 2016

12:30-2:15 p.m.

for the fanciest of book launches and pirate ship adventures! 

There will be: 
crafts
activities
a book reading and signing
&
a performance

all aboard a 45-ft pirate ship!



Just be sure to RSVP (rossstreetagency@gmail.com) 

for your place to help launch 

Good Pirate

by Kari-Lynn Winters
Illustrated by Dean Griffiths
Pajama Press
978-1-927485-80-4
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
May 2016

Good Pirate

by Kari-Lynn Winters

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Pajama Press

978-1-927485-80-4

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

May 2016

Kari-Lynn Winters and Dean Griffiths’ Bad Pirate (Pajama Press, 2015), winner of the 2016 Rainforest of Reading Award, is back and Augusta Garrick is still trying to fit in with the pirates of her father’s crew.  In Bad Pirate, she had difficulties emulating the sauciness, boldness and selfishness of the sea dogs her father, Captain Barnacle Garrick, revered, and now it seems she’s just too fancy!

From Good Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters, 

illus. by Dean Griffiths

As much as she appreciates tidiness, cleaniness and fancy baubles, she’s considered a liability when the pirates go off on a raid.  But when the crew is caught by Captain Fishmonger and his feline Tuna Lubbers, it’s the finely-scented Augusta who saves the day and proves that she’s as rotten, sneaky and brainy as necessary to be a Good Pirate.

The text is saucy and spicy and flavoured with pirate-speak, as befits a hearty swashbuckling yarn, but it’s all in good fun and brimming with joviality.  Still amidst all that merriment, so much like Kari-Lynn Winters herself, is an important message about being true to oneself and appreciating differences as strengths.  And, again, Dean Griffiths illustrates with richly detailed pirate ship sets and characters which are dogs and cats of all variety.  Kids will delight in identifying the different breeds and who’s wearing what and trying out the “pirate talk” and “nautical talk” which peppers the story and is defined in the endpapers.  Arr, Good Pirate is a good time with a hearty–both deep and enthusiastic–message packaged in the fanciest scurvyiest of art.

From Good Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters, 

illus. by Dean Griffiths

Bad Pirate

by Kari-Lynn Winters

Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Pajama Press

978-1-927485-71-2

32 pp.

Ages 5-8

May, 2015

Of course Augusta Garrick wants to be a good pirate.  Her father is Captain Barnacle Garrick and he was all the things a good pirate should be: saucy, bold and selfish.  In other words, he was bad.  He has no problems tying up traitorous crew and making them walk the plank (though Augusta rescues them in her rowboat below).  Or fighting off a giant octopus. Or yelling at the crew for helping an older member.

So one night she decides to do something saucy, bold and selfish: she tosses out the wooden peg leg of Scully, the one-eyed pit bull who never lets Augusta get away with any kindnesses.  But the next morning a brewing storm demands Scully's attention to the main sail, and he can't climb!  Will someone be "feedin' the fishes" for that snafu?  Will it be Scully, Augusta or the whole crew when the ship sinks?

You know Kari-Lynn Winters will spin a great yarn, which she has, and it’s a rollicking good one of life on the high seas, living with barnacle-hardened sea dogs (literally) and a father-daughter relationship like no other.  There’s learning about being oneself and accepting others' strengths as important, even if different. The text is salted with the voice of pirates–though nicely scrubbed for young ears and eyes–and the fluency of a sea shanty.  And Dean Griffiths makes sure that his bold illustrations transport the reader to the swaying decks of that pirate ship, embellished with detailed rigging, portholes, ratlines and masts.  And the crew of spaniels, chihuahuas, bulldogs and sheepdogs (this list is limited only by my own limited dog knowledge) is resplendent in their kerchief do-rags, breeches, buckle boots and gold earrings, the captain especially dapper in his frock coat and feathered musketeer hat.  And Augusta fits right in, truly looking like a pirate, even if Kari-Lynn Winters has to help her, and everyone else on the ship, see that when she was good, she really was a very Bad Pirate. Lucky for them.

Caravaggio: Signed in Blood

Written by Mark David Smith

Tradewind Books

978-1-896580-05-0

152 pp.

Ages 11-15

2014

Before seeing the cover, the title Caravaggio Signed in Blood caused me great trepidation, as I anticipated a gory historical novel filled with violence and conflict.  But, though it has some violence and conflict, Caravaggio Signed in Blood is much more. Essentially a fictionalized account of the events which led to the 17th century artist's removal from Rome and the circumstances by which he signs but one canvas amongst his rich collection of artwork, Caravaggio Signed in Blood embeds a story of injustice within the context of Italy's social structure during the first half of the 1600s.

Surprisingly, Caravaggio is not even the main character of the book.  Beppo, a fifteen-year-old boy indentured to the merchant Constantino Sparta, is the book's central character.  Beppo knows Constantino is a bit of a crook, reselling refurbished wine barrels, as well as smuggling illegal editions of popular books, even stealing some himself.  When the powerful Tomassoni brothers, Ranuccio and Giovan, learn of this scheming, they demand Constantino give them a percentage. But Constantino refuses and is murdered by Ranuccio, leaving Beppo accused of the murder.  And then, when Ranuccio threatens Caravaggio who insults him, the artist and expert swordsman defends himself and accidentally kills the arrogant Tomassoni.  Now, Beppo and Caravaggio are on the run together.

With Beppo insisting on serving Caravaggio, the two attempt to evade the vengeful Giovan Tomassoni, moving from Roma to safer locations, and hopeful of Caravaggio continuing to follow his artistic vocation.  Add a love interest, sword-fighting lessons, knights, squires and some Barbary pirates, and the plot conclusion of Caravaggio Signed in Blood is hardly predictable.

Though Tradewind Books is not often on my radar, it should be, having published numerous youngCanLit authors and illustrators whose work I respect, including Beverley Brenna, Sheree Fitch, Kari-Lynn Winters, Rachna Gilmore, Alyxandra Harvey, and James Heneghan, to name just a few.  So I'm pleased that author Mark David Smith reached out for my feedback on Caravaggio Signed in Blood.  There are few books of historical fiction pre-18th century, with most focused on the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, and fewer yet that can capture the appropriate mood and comportment respectably.  Caravaggio Signed in Blood provides a convincing story about a specific period of Caravaggio's life but enhances that tale by incorporating the swashbuckling and romantic adventure of an indentured teen boy.  Though not a long read, Caravaggio Signed in Blood will definitely grab readers and carry them along on the run with the two passionate Italians as they navigate the treacherous power hierarchy of the time.

Seas of South Africa

by Philip Roy

Ronsdale Press

978-1-55380-247-1

200 pp.

Ages 10+

September, 2013

Oh, that Philip Roy.  He lulls the reader into calm with the beauty of his words.

I have learned that you cannot pick and choose what you will find when you go out to explore.  Sometimes you will find beautiful things, and sometimes you will find ugly things.  That is the world we live in.  In South Africa, where the warm Indian Ocean meets the cold Atlantic, like a meeting of two tigers, and where the hearts of people seem both bigger and darker than anywhere else, I found both. (pg. 1)

Then he plunges you into heart-stopping tension as Alfred, the star of The Submarine Outlaw Series, is accosted in Mozambique by a nasty behemoth of a pirate, threatened with a knife and almost drowned when the man tries to open the hatch while the sub is underwater.  So begins Seas of South Africa.

Though Alfred makes every effort to avoid the coast of Somalia and its pirates, he is dogged by one or more of them after escaping several altercations with the murderous thieves and relieving them of stolen treasure and money.   But, as he evades their search for him and as he frequently stops to wash the bloodied money, Alfred rescues a small parrot from a sinking boat, saves a young South African man who crashes his bicycle-powered plane into the ocean, survives the violence of mob justice in Soweto, and provides back-up for a wreck diver under attack from pirates.

But amidst the the heroics and narrow escapes, Alfred meets some memorable characters, learns more about South Africa's history including apartheid, experiences the anger, humour and breath-taking landscapes of Africa, and ultimately gains a new perspective that will direct his future exploring. 

I suspect that Alfred is a junior fictional version of Philip Roy himself: an explorer at his core with a heart filled with compassion and generosity, and the philosophical wisdom of an old spirit.  So his observations and appreciation of his experiences are probably as authentic as they can get, and that's how they read.  But in Seas of South Africa, Philip Roy goes beyond the adventure story, which is always part of The Submarine Outlaw Series, and the history, which often provides context for Alfred's explorations.  Delving deeper into the consequences of apartheid and its aftermath, Philip Roy demonstrates with subtlety that perspective can alter and justify interpretations of the same circumstances.  Prisons can be on isolated islands or within oneself, and desperation and violence may go hand-in-hand.  But, without a doubt, the clearest message given and received is to,

"Appreciate your life." (pg. 198)

Fortunately, Alfred clearly does, sharing that acknowledgement with the readers of Seas of South Africa and his intention to apply that obligation to ensuring the vitality and persistence of healthy oceans.  Bon voyage to our former submarine outlaw!

Little Jane and the Nameless Isle

by Adira Rotstein
Dundurn
978-1-459704206
260 pp.
Ages 9-12
2012

When I reviewed Adira Rotstein's first book in her A Little Jane Silver Adventure series, Little Jane Silver (Dundurn, 2011), I pictured Little Jane akin to Astrid Lindgren's famous Pippi Longstocking, a buccaneer's confident daughter who enjoys adventures and mocking authority or at least nasty adults.  But I was wrong.  I did Little Jane a great disservice.  She may dream about having the sorts of adventures that her father, Long John Silver the Second a.k.a. Jim, speaks of so descriptively (!) but she is always anchored to her family and the pirates with whom they sail.  She may be determined but she is never self-serving, often thinking of others first and charitably considering others' pride before her own.  If she happens to have an adventure or two along the way, even better, because she is really tired of the "Little" moniker she has been stuck with for so long. Luckily for her, in Little Jane and the Nameless Isle, Jane comes into her own, organizing a ship, crew and rescue, all without her parents' help because they're the ones who need rescuing.

Little Jane and the Nameless Isle begins with Jane and the crew's cook, Ishiro, being the only two who escaped when her parents' ship Pieces of Eight was attacked and destroyed by the pirate hunter, Captain Fetzcaro Madsea.  Madsea has been aided by her parents' villainous former bosun, Ned Ronk, for the purpose of leading them to hidden treasure on the Nameless Isle.  On board Madsea's ship Panacea, Long Jim has been left crippled from the attack and, knowing that he isn't in a position to fight when Mary is threatened, gives up some information about the treasure.  But, not to worry.  In addition to still being in love and caring deeply for their daughter, Jane's parents are formidable pirates and they have plans of their own for Madsea and his crew, none of which require giving up their gold.

As Ishiro is gravely ill, Jane takes it upon herself to request the help of the local magistrate, Villienne, who is Britain's representative on the island and understandably opposed to piracy.  However, Villienne is a man who prides himself on taking responsibility for all the people of the island and states that "...it was quite bad form for someone to take my citizens' ship by force!" (pg. 13) Moreover, Villienne is a man of great wisdom,

"Personally, I believe violence is only the province of the impatient, the incompetent, and the seriously-out-of-options" (pg.13)

and scientific curiosity, investigating all flora and fauna and even concocting a remedy for Ishiro.  Consequently, Villienne is enthusiastic about helping Jane procure a ship, even insisting on joining the crew.  This is quite fortunate as the magistrate helps Jane decipher a code on her wooden sword, MELVIN, which points their way to the treasure on Nameless Isle.

Through encounters with tasty (though digestively-challenging) orange birds and other spiteful avian species, a moat of dangerous creatures, treacherous terrain and old friends, all the characters attempt to "hold fast", Jim's perennial message, though some are better than others at it, especially when unencumbered by faulty knock-off arms.  Jane ultimately rescues her parents, though not as straightforwardly as might have been possible.  But it doesn't matter.  Those who made fun of her are those who never mattered anyway.  And any glitches in the rescue simply open other doors to further growth and learning, which are always welcome.

In her Little Jane Silver Adventures, Adira Rotstein has created a gutsy girl protagonist, a Katniss Everdeen for the middle-grade readers.  She can stand up to nasty pirates and inflexible bureaucrats, with a sense of humour, without needing a romance to fulfill her destiny; after all, she is only twelve.  As for Little Jane's resemblance to Pippi, it is limited to their spirit and exuberance for adventures, and perhaps their southern seas locales.  But Little Jane should be every pirate-parent's daughter and every child's friend, respectfully leading only when others insist on accompanying her, aware of everyone's need to accept their own challenges, though a little push sometimes doesn't hurt. I look forward to Little Jane's next adventure, hopeful that she will continue to create stories from which her own implausible yarns may be told.

Pirate Stories: t'good, t' bad, t'ugly

Ahrr you ready for  

International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day  

on September 19? 

Have you used your books to help you enhance your pirate vocabulary? Do you know how to swab the decks, walk the gangplank, and shiver m' timbers?

After reading any number of these great pirate adventures written by Canadians, you're sure to be ready when September 19th rolls around this year.  And even if you're not into pirate mimicry, these books tell great yarns!  Here we go, me matey!

   Picture Books  

Bigbeard's Hook: Nathaniel McDaniel and the Magic Attic
by Evan Solomon
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Viking Canada
40 pp.
Ages 6-10
2005


 
Elliot's Shipwreck
by Andrea Beck
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4 - 7
2000


 

Freddy's Day at the Races
by Susan Chalker Brown
Illustrated by HildaRose
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 6-12
2008


 
Grandma and the Pirates
by Phoebe Gilman
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2012 (reissue)



Lucy and the Pirates
by Glen Petrie
Illustrated by Matilda Harrison.
Tradewind Books
32 pp.
Ages 7-10
1996


 
The Pirate and the Penguin
by Patricia Storms
Owlkids Books
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2009


The Pirate Girl's Treasure: An Origami Adventure 
by Peyton Leung
Illustrated by Hilary Leung
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2012

The Pirates of Captain McKee
[Original title: Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Near That Canoe!]
by Julie Lawson
Illustrated by Werner Zimmerman
Scholastic Canada
30 pp.
Ages 3-9
1996/2008

Princess June and the Shadow Pirates
by Douglas Hopkins
Tuckamore Books
32 pp.
Ages 7-9
2005

Sail Away
by Florence McNeil
Illustrated by David McPhail
Orca Book Publishers
32 pp.
Ages 2-5
2000

Sally Dog Little
by Bill Richardson
Illustrated by Céline Malépart
Annick Press
24 pp.
Ages 6-9
2002

Small Saul
by Ashley Spires
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages
2011

The Terrible Horrible Smelly Pirate
by Carrie Muller and Jacqueline Halsey
Illustrated by Eric Orchard
Nimbus
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2008

A Treasure at Sea for Dragon and Me: Water Safety for Kids (and Dragons)
by Jean E. Pendziwol
Illustrated by Martine Gourbault
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 3-7
2005
 

   Chapter Books   

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman      
by Adrienne Kress
Scholastic Canada
382 pp.
Ages 9-12
2007       
 
 


The Ancient Ocean Blues
by Jack Mitchell
Tundra Books
187 pp.
Ages 9-13
2008





Beware, Pirates!  
(Canadian Flyer Adventures 1)
by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Dean Griffiths
Maple Tree Press
83 pp.
Ages 6-9
2007



Captain Jake
by Shannon Stewart
Illustrated by Ben Hodson
Orca Book Publishers
59 pp.
Ages 7-9
2008

The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods
by Kate Inglis
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Nimbus
192 pages
Ages 8-12
2010

Horrendo's Curse
by Anna Fienberg
Illustrated by Kim Gamble
Annick Press
158 pp.
Ages 9-12
2002

Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas
by Cary Fagan
Illustrated by Dušan Petricic
Tundra Books
128 pp.
Ages 7-10
2009

Little Jane Silver
by Adira Rotstein
Dundurn
268 pp.
Ages 9-14
2011

Little Jane Silver and the Nameless Isle
by Adira Rotstein
Dundurn
272 pp.
Ages 9-14
September, 2012

A Noodle Up Your Nose
by Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté
Orca Book Publishers
64 pp.
Ages 6-8
2004

The Secret of Pirate Taz
by Liz Collard
Illustrated by Maia Desjardins
Trafford Publishing
24 pp.
Ages 5-7
2011

The Ship of Lost Souls
by Rachelle Delaney
HarperCollins Canada
233 pp.
Ages 9-12
2009

The Lost Souls of Island X 
by Rachelle Delaney
HarperCollins Canada
240 pp.
Ages 8-12
2011

Torrie and the Pirate Queen
by K.V. Johansen
Illustrated by Christine Delezenne
Annick Press
156 pp.
Ages 9-11
2005

Woolies and Worms
by Stephen MacNeil
Illustrated by John Sandford
Cricket Books / Publishers Group Canada
243 pp.
Ages 8-10
2007

   Young Adult Books   

The Bonemender's Choice
by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
234 pp.
Ages 11+
2007

The Convicts
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte/Random House Canada
198 pp.
Ages 11-14
2005

The Cannibals
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte/Random House Canada
230 pp.
Ages 11-14
2005

The Castaways
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte/Random House Canada
243 pp.
Ages 10-14
2007

Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates
by Seán Cullen
Illustrated by Johann Wessels
Puffin Canada
293 pp.
Ages 10-13
2006

The Wreckers
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte/Doubleday
196 pp.
Ages 10-13
1998

The Smugglers
by Iain Lawrence
Dell Yearling/Random House Canada
184 pp.
Ages 10-14
1999

The Buccaneers 
by Iain Lawrence
Delacorte/Random House Canada
244 pp.
Ages 11+
2001

The Island of Mad Scientists: Being an Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experimental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a Mechanical Man and a Monkey: The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones
by Howard Whitehorse
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Kids Can Press
262 pp.
Ages 11-14
2008

 
Minerva's Voyage
by Lynne Kositsky
Dundurn
215 pp.
Ages 11-14
2010

Perilous Passage
by B. J. Bayle
Sandcastle/Dundurn
184 pp.
Ages 10-13
2007




Pirates Passage
by William Gilkerson
Trumpeter/Shambhala/Random House Canada
364 pp.
Ages 11-13
2006

Red Sea
by Diane Tullson
Orca Book Publishers
168 pp.
Ages 13-17
2005



 

Skybreaker
by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins Canada
340 pp.
Ages 12-16
2005

The Uncle Duncle Chronicles: Escape from Treasure Island
by Darren Krill
Lobster Press
335 pp.
Ages 14-16
2006

   Non-Fiction  

Imagine You're a Pirate
by Meg Clibbon
Illustrated by Lucy Clibbon
Annick Press
32 pp.
Ages 4-9
2002

Lost Treasures: True Stories of Discover
by Larry Verstraete
Scholastic Canada
185 pp.
Ages 9-13
2006

Oak Island Family: The Restall Hunt for Buried Treasure
by Lee Lamb
Dundurn Press
236 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

The Ship That Voted No and Other Stories of Ships and the Sea
by Tommy Keene
Lancelot Press
86 pp.
Ages 12+
1995

A Thousand Years of Pirates
by William Gilkerson
Tundra Books
96 pp.
Ages 10-14
2009