Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion

all the gems and flap pieces were torn out. This was no where near acceptable and should have been in the trash, not sold .

Technically, this is a fictional work; however, I feel more comfortable lumping it in with the family of pre-teen picture books that cover the history of pirates during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, a period more commonly referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. The author uses the story of a fictional pirate hunter chasing an equally fictional female pirate to provide a framework on which to hang tidbits of pirate history. Like the Eyewitness, Discovery and Kingfisher family of youth picture books, this one is crowded with illustrations and brief passages of historical prose that provide a basic background on piracy suitable for children and those with limited attention spans. There the comparison stops, Pirateology goes well beyond by providing an interactive element with the numerous foldouts, mock notebooks, sealed envelopes with inserted maps and notes, and variety of other interactive items sure to keep the reader engaged. The prose is not difficult, but does include enough vocabulary to stretch young minds. The artwork varies from a vintage sepia look to colorful original artwork. The overall presentation is excellent and looks reasonably durable. I would recommend that use of the book by those under 9 years of age be supervised to preserve the various ties and foldouts as well as to prevent misplacing the inserts and notes. Bottom line is that this is a fun introduction to the history of piracy during the Golden Age. For those beyond the level of such a children's book I might suggest the various Osprey books on buccaneers and pirates by Angus Konstam. P-)

This book is said to be suitable for ages 8 (3rd Grade) and up. It's also extremely suited for grandparents. It combines an interesting story line, Captain Lubber is sailing the world searching for the vicious female pirate Arabella Drummond. The book purports to be his journal or log of the trip and what he learned along the way. It is printed on a heavy parchment paper, and filled with activities requiring that you look at a little book glued onto a page, or tie knots with the strings on another page. It is a heavy well made book with a compass inset into the front cover - you have to have a compass to go looking for pirates - jewels set into the East and West position, and a large jewel in the back cover - pirates like jewels. I hate to be overly picky, but there is one error in the book. At one point it says that pirates liked this kind of ship called a sloop. But the picture shows a topsail schooner instead. Oh well, maybe this was put in intentionally so you can demonstrate your knowledge to your grandkid. Then again, maybe he'll just think you're weird.

if you want to learn about pirates this is the book for you! it teaches you about navigation and even tying knots for all ye scallawags out there.but what really surprised me was that the original unadapted version was actually(your not going to believe this)found under the ocean!although the socalled author "william lubber " or "arabella drummond are'nt real, it's still packed with information about those old thieves that have so many stories. i liked this book a lot and if you are interested in pirates as much as i am you should really get this book!

This book is a great read for children and adults alike...(because we all know that we are all still kids at heart!) With it's inside peaks and interactive panels it is hard not to get drawn up into this book. So come let your imagination free for a few minutes and read this book. Discover hidden treasure and even some pirate letters with hidden messages on the back! Who knows it may even inspire you to go on a treasure hunt yourself! Arr