Bunting, Eve. The Voyage of the Sea Wolf.

Bunting, Eve.     The Voyage of the Sea Wolf.   Cengage/Sleeping Bear   191p $8.95  978-1-58536-790-0       ms/hs       E-BN      Historical fiction     

In this, the sequel to The Pirate Captain’s Daughter, Catherine and William are rescued from Pox Island by the pirates of the Sea Wolf, but their troubles are not over.  Catherine, daughter of a deceased pirate captain, finds herself and her true love, William the cabin boy, rescued from their exile on Pox Island by the crew of the Sea Wolf, another pirate ship.  When the captain of the Sea Wolf -- a woman! -- takes a shine to William herself, Catherine must endure her wrath and the fear that she will lose William forever.  However, after the Sea Wolf’s abortive attempt to raid another pirate ship, Catherine and William grab their chance at freedom and look forward to further adventures together.

The language is beautiful, succinct and at times floral.  One gets a real sense of adventure, and the threat of violence is never far away.  This would be an excellent choice for reluctant readers, or hi-lo readers in middle school and high school.           

Pirates-Fiction, Adventure                                  --Carol Kennedy

Brew, Jim Pirates

Brew, Jim   Pirates     Scholastic/ Childrens Press   24p   $21.95     

978-0-531-20781-9       elem        Series: History's Greatest Warriors (Scholastic/Childrens)        Average          

This short nonfiction selection presents basic information about pirates.  Included are a brief description of pirate ships and a history of piracy.

     

There are three positive and two negative sides to this book.  On the positive side, the pictures are lively and interesting, and the glossary is a nice feature that supports younger readers.  In addition, the writer has not "dumbed down" his vocabulary; the words he has chosen are authentic terms, useful for vocabulary acquisition.  On the other hand, a negative feature is that the sentences describing pirates and their job are overly simple, making the book suitable only for younger elementary-school children.  But even more important on the negative side, the book is just not that interesting. 

Children want exciting stories about pirates, not a how-to book that describes their equipment and their ships.  The author’s purpose is only to present the basics, and if the classroom teacher hopes to introduce the topic to his/her class, then the book is acceptable.  However, if the teacher hopes to inspire literacy, this book misses the boat. 

At the end, there is a glossary and a list of resources, followed by a short index.  All in all, this book does not meet expectations as one in the series History’s Greatest Warriors, which includes books about many of the world’s famous "tough guys".  Aztecs, Comanches, Mongols, Samurai and Spartans are just a few of the topics in the series.  Each book presents basics about the history of each group, the materials they used to accomplish the job, and the targets of their wrath.  -- Martha Squaresky

Jewish pirates of the Caribbean. by Edward Kritzler

Kritzler, Edward. Jewish pirates of the Caribbean.
Doubleday(Random), 2008, 324p, $26.00, 978-0-385-51398-2.

After the Spanish expulsion of its Jews in 1492, many converted, many died, and many left to cross the borders of Spain or onboard the small fleets of Columbus and those of later explorers. Some fled to the New World and became pirates who preyed on Spanish shipping, wreaking vengeance, acquiring treasure and riches, cementing alliances with other countries, and providing some protection for the Jewish population still in hiding.
In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella expelled all of the Jews who had been living in Spain for centuries. Many converted, many died, and many left to cross the borders of Spain or onboard the small fleets of Columbus and those of later explorers. In the almost 200 years between the expulsion and the authorization of the first Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam, a large part of this Jewish community perished under the persecution of the Inquisition. Even many who had fled to the New World as conversos were hunted down but not all of these people went peaceably. A small contingent of Jews living in Arab North Africa as well as those who later settled in Jamaica expanded their horizons by becoming pirates and privateers who preyed on Spanish shipping, wreaking vengeance, acquiring treasure and riches, cementing alliances with other countries, and providing some protection for the Jewish population still in hiding. It was not until the middle of the seventeenth century that the Dutch allowed real freedom of religion and Charles II allowed the Jews to return to England.
In this deeply detailed and fascinating account of the time period, the author brings to light little known facts and information about the time period and the active role that Jews played in the New World as well as the Old. Well documented and highlighted by a wealth of primary source material, this book is sure to hold the reader’s attention. While the author concentrates on Caribbean piracy, he also provides solid data on the historical role of Jews throughout Western Europe. The book contains a map of the Caribbean and ends with a chronology, copious attributions and source notes, chapter notes, and a detailed index. SO

A good read

Bennett, Holly. Bonemender’s Choice.
Orca, 2008. 222p $7.95 978-1-55143-718-7
Fantasy

This third book about Gabrielle the healer presents her with a difficult choice. The two children of the king are kidnapped by pirates who plan to sell them at the slave auctions. When the ship sails into port, they discover the town closed due to a plague called the "Gray Veil." One of the crew becomes infected and passes it to the king's daughter. A rescue party made up of Gabrielle, her elf husband, Tristan brother to the King, blacksmith and jewelry maker Derkh (who Gabrielle healed in a prior book) and Yolenka an exotic dancer., sails in pursuit. They disguise themselves as traders and come to the fortress of the pirate. Gabrielle is brought in to heal the girl. Each member of the rescue party plays a specific role in the rescue. By pretending that both children are dead, they escape. Sailing back toward home, Gabrielle finally begins to understand the nature of the disease but must choose to save the girl or her husband who contracted the disease while carrying the girl.
Even though it is a third book in a series, the reader can quite quickly surmise some of the action of the prior books. The action is nonstop with minimal descriptive passages. The only drawback is that the speech of foreign characters reminds one of the stereotypical speech of Old West Native Americans.
This is a thoroughly pleasant read.
This is the third book of the Bonemender series. JT