Tag archives for Pirates
Posted by BOOK NAME: Turtle in Paradise
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Holm
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm is like a ship that sways with the idea of fitting in, sails far with adventure, topples with betrayal, and regains position after coping with loss.
Turtle is an 11 year old girl who lives in New Jersey with her mother during the Great Depression. Due to her mom’s housekeeping job for a lady who dislikes kids, strong and tough Turtle has to move to Florida to live with her cousins in the Key West. It is hard for Turtle to get accustomed to living with her rowdy cousins. Soon, she realizes how everyone in Key West is related to her in some way. She feels better, but she dearly misses her mother. Turtle joins her cousins in the mischievous activities they do. Together, they find Pirate Black Caesar’s treasure and split it among themselves. But after a disturbing event in the family, Turtle understands what her true treasure is.
I would definitely recommend this 2011 Newbery Honor book for all ages. The book has a simple, interesting plot that brings out customs of the Key West. In the book, Turtle is constantly comparing her life with that of movie star Shirley Temple and Little Orphan Annie, a comic character, both popular in the 1930s. Just like a turtle, the character Turtle has a hard shell due to the tough circumstances she has faced, but she soon realizes that she too has a soft inner self. I really enjoyed reading about the kids’ adventures, especially the treasure hunt.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter
AUTHOR: Richard Platt
Ever wonder what a true pirate’s life was like? The pirates portrayed in the movies are usually heartless, swashbuckling, and usually sport an eye patch. I believe reading Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter, gives the reader a more realistic insight into the life of a pirate.
The story is told from a fictional diary written by a 9-year-old boy named Jake Carpenter. His family has sent him with his uncle to become a sailor. He signs on to sail with the Greyhound and begins his first sea voyage under the command of a brutal and cruel captain. During the voyage, the ship is captured by a band of pirates, and now Jake is forced to become one of them. Jake learns how to live like a pirate. He has to abide by their rules, assist in their raids, and repair their ship. Pirates are considered criminals by the Americans, British, and other European powers; therefore, Jake is now also a criminal. Pirates often have to suffer the death penalty for their criminal actions. There may be no escape from the dangerous and possibly deadly way of life Jake has been thrown into.
The author wrote this book brilliantly. I enjoyed how the book was told in the form of a journal. It was unique to hear the story from the main character’s viewpoint. The journal or diary really gives the reader a sense of what Jake is feeling and experiencing on a day to day basis. I liked the colorful illustrations that make the book more entertaining. The illustrations also vividly portray certain events in the story, making it easier to understand. This book was a short, straightforward, and effortless read, which means that it is perfect for reading in your spare time.
I highly recommend this book to people who like to derive fact from fiction. This book tells the story of true pirate life, versus the Hollywood version seen in movies. Hollywood pirates and real pirates are different in several ways. For example, real pirates are organized bands of raiders that follow a fair system of laws that the crew themselves often create. In fact, many merchant ship captains are crueler and more unjust than pirate captains. Hollywood pirates are often publicized as ruthless, menacing, lawless villains with no respect for each other. The end of the book reports about true pirate, and how they lived. The book also provides an article about some of the most famous pirates that ever lived and revealed some interesting facts. Did you know that Blackbeard’s real name was Edward Teach or that a pirate named Jean Lafitte helped America gain independence by fighting British naval ships? Read this book for “arrr” fascinating adventure, “matey!”
Posted by Have you ever dreamed about being an archaeologist? Visiting the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis gives you a chance to experience real archaeological discoveries as you explore the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Seti I, the terra cotta warriors excavation site in China, and Captain Kidd’s shipwreck off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The National Geographic Treasures of the Earth exhibit was created with the assistance of the National Geographic Society and opens on June 11, 2011. Watch this video to get an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit!
Posted by BOOK NAME: Stone Rabbit series
AUTHOR: Erik Craddock
I’m going to write about three books in the Stone Rabbit series. The first one is called BC Mambo. The second one is Pirate Palooza. The third one is called Deep Space Disco. There’s only five books out, but I’m only going to write about three, because I only have three. I want to get the other ones because those look cool.
These books are action kids’ books. Each is like a comic book, with a lot of words like “poof”, “pow” and that kind of stuff.
BC Mambo is about Stone Rabbit finding a giant hole in his bathroom and falls through it and lands in dinosaur eggs. Stone Rabbit runs into a lot of dinosaurs until he finally gets out of that world.
In Pirate Palooza, Stone Rabbit finds a leg for a table that he broke, but he doesn’t know it’s a pirate’s wooden leg. He has to fight a lot of pirates and he eventually saves the pirates from getting attacked by this other ship.
In Deep Space Disco, he goes into this restaurant and gets sucked into a spaceship, so then he’s an astronaut. He and his friend save the world.
I like these books because there’s a lot of action and they’re funny. I
think these books are good for kids in first and second grade.
