Aaaarrrr!!!

Hey guys, it's Carl. Last week was Talk Like a Pirate Day, so I'm going to tell you about a couple of pirate books. (Bill is going to do the same; wait until you see his post--and his cool pictures!) The first is What If You Met a Pirate by Jan Adkins. What was it really like to be a pirate? I can tell you that you didn't live like Captain Jack! You'll get answers to questions such as: What Did a Pirate Do All Day? How Did Pirates Attack? Did The Freebooters Wear Shoes? Where Could You Find a Pirate If You Needed One? This is a really interesting book with great illustrations, plus lots of facts about pirates that you never knew---like the real reason they wore gold earings.

The other book is the graphic novel version of Treasure Isaland by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Tim Hamilton. (Sorry, no picture available) It'll grab you right from the beginning. Young Jim Hawkins and his family run the Admiral Benbow Inn on a distant English coast when an old brown seaman with a saber cut on his face asks for a room. He promises Jim a silver penny if Jim will tell if he ever sees a "seafaring man with a wooden leg." Who is this strange man and why is he afraid of the sailor with the wooden leg? You'll find out when you read this action-packed adventure. (If you want to read my review of the original Treasure Island, click here. Beware--it was published in 1883, so the language is a bit old, but don't let that scare you off. This is still the greatest pirate book ever written!)

Don't forget---October 1---my challenge to all you readers!