Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter, Cabin Boy

This is the story of a young boy's advenures at sea. He went to sea with his uncle and they were soon kidnapped by pirates. Jake's uncle was put to sea in a small boat and left to die after he was flogged when he took Jakes place to prevent Jake from receiving this horrible form of punishment. In order to survive Jake was forced to join the pirates, The book gave a full account of a pirates daily activities with many wonderful iillustrations that included the detailed parts of the ship. If you have a young child who is fascinated by pirates, this is the book to give as a gift. It is a treasure.I believe it would have a special appeal for fourth and fifth grade children.

I was concerned at first at the amount of text in this book, and it's written in a faux-early 18th century English style (but applied moderately, for atmosphere). Yet, my son loved hearing it read to him (ok, I do a fairly good pirate imitation, me buckos). He was interested in every diary entry, thanks to the structure of the narrative that poses problems and then surprising resolutions. The artwork is a big plus, too, with much to look at and discover. Recommended!

A good read for young children with an interest in pirates. Written in diary fashion, it makes a good story to read to a child at bedtime with lots of convenient places to stop. The author uses a good deal of nautical terminology, but does a good job of explaining it all within the context of story.The story revolves around the diary of a young boy off to sea for his first time. He ends up with pirates when his ship is captured and after a few adventures returns home to accept a pardon. Richard Platt has authored several children's books about pirates and does justice to the reality of life at sea and with pirates without getting too graphic. The illustrations are entertaining pen drawings that contribute to the story, although the style takes a bit of getting used to (I'm still not sure I like it). The book also includes a brief overview of the history of piracy and some famous pirates. The index also doubles as a glossary of some of the terms used. P-)