by Zachary J. Fox
Photo by Robert Gary
AHOY, ME HEARTIES! BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!
February 27th and 28th will be the Arizona Renaissance Festival’s Pirate Invasion Weekend! Ye should be joinin’ Kids Need to Read in celebrating 28 years of sailing the seas with the Arizona Renaissance Festival by bringing your plunder of new children’s books to our booth just outside of the festival’s entrance! In return for the donation of at least one new children’s book, we’ll be givin’ you a free children’s admission ticket (for sea monkeys ages 5-12) with paid adult admission! And we be handin’ out Highlights magazines to the wee ones as well! It’ll be a barrel of giggles for all you swashbucklers out there!
And Saturday, February 27th be the children’s costume contest at 2:00 pm in the royal pavilion. For you older swabbies (ages 13 and up), you can join the adult costume contest Sunday, February 28th in the royal pavilion! And be prepared to say what your pirate name be, and what makes ye the best pirate captain of them all!
The Arizona Renaissance Festival operates from February 6th through March 27th, 10am to 6pm, be it rain or shine!
In the spirit of celebrating the world of pirates and children’s books, we compiled a list of sea worthy pirate books for you swashbucklin’ sea monkeys. They would make mighty additions to any pirate’s treasure!
How I Became a Pirate, written by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon
“Pirates have green teeth when they have any teeth at all. I know about pirates, because one day, when I was at the beach building a sand castle and minding my own business, a pirate ship sailed into view.” So proclaims Jeremy Jacob, a boy who joins Captain Braid Beard and his crew in this witty look at the finer points of pirate life by the Caldecott Honor winning illustrator David Shannon and the storyteller Melinda Long. Jeremy learns how to say scurvy dog, sing sea chanteys, and throw food . . . but he also learns that there are no books or good night kisses on board: Pirates don t tuck. A swashbuckling adventure with fantastically silly, richly textured illustrations that suit the story to a T.
Pirate Mom, written by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
Yo ho ho Pete loves pirates, but his mom thinks they are rude and messy. Then Pete and his mom go to see the Amazing Marco, and Marco hypnotizes Pete’s mom into thinking she’s a pirate. Now Pete’s mom won’t behave. She chases the neighbors. She steals underwear off other people’s clotheslines. She’s even flying the Jolly Roger over the house. Pete has to find the Amazing Marco. He wants his real mom back.
Pirate Princess, written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Princess Bea isn’t like other princesses she prefers pirate ships above tea parties, the salty sea over silly dolls. But what’s a landlocked princess to do?
Ahoy, Captain Jack to the rescue! When the captain offers Bea a place aboard his ship, its a dream come true until she’s put to work swabbing the decks and making dinner for the crew. Can a princess like Bea put her royal gifts to work and make the pirates see that she’s seaworthy after all, or will they make her walk the plank?
Roger, the Jolly Pirate, written and illustrated by Brett Helquist
Roger is too jolly to be a pirate.
He does not scowl, growl, or strike fear into sailors’ hearts like his pirate friends, so poor Roger is sent away whenever there is any real pirating to be done. Then one day, in the middle of a great battle, Jolly Roger cooks up a wonderful idea . . . and pirate ships will never be the same again!
Everything I Know about Pirates, written and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Pirates will often carry their knives in their mouths, although the practice is frowned upon by the American Dental Association.
Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter’s Companion, by William Captain Lubber
Pirateology Guidebook and Model Set, by William Captain Lubber
The Pirateology Handbook: A Course in Pirate Hunting, by William Captain Lubber
Aar Hoist the sails for a lavish new discovery filled with treasures — a magnificent resource for pirate lovers everywhere. The eagerly awaited new title in the best-selling ‘Ology series — more than 5 million sold worldwide
Step lively, pirate foes and fanciers Mysterious booty found inside a long-lost sea chest, hidden for hundreds of years off the coast of Newfoundland, has just been uncovered for your enjoyment. Within these covers is the fascinating eighteenth-century journal of Captain William Lubber, an earnest soul who sailed the seas in search of the vicious female pirate Arabella Drummond. Prepare for a mesmerizing tale of the golden age of piracy — from storm-tossed sailing ships to tantalizing treasure islands, from pirates’ flags and fashions to their wily weapons and wicked ways. An extraordinary find for pirateologists, here is a true and complete companion for the dedicated pirate hunter.
Pirateology‘s special treasures include:
— a stunning cover bearing a working compass and glittering gems–treasure map with a missing piece — for the canny reader to find
— multiple flaps, maps, charts, and booklets harboring codes and clues
— intricate drawings of ships’ interiors
— a packet of gold dust — a pocket sundial
— a cache of pirate letters, pieces of eight– and a jewel as a final reward.
Pirates, by John Matthews
Pirates Most Wanted, by John Matthews
At last the ultimate book of pirates is here inside is the stuff of legend, where tales of adventure and intrigue are written in blood. Read about Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. Learn about walking the plank and buried treasure. Discover what was like aboard a pirate ship—from a pirate’s strict code of conduct to the punishments that awaited those that broke them.
All the intrigue, adventure, and grizzly details are brought to life in this lavish hardcover package jam packed with fact and fiction, pirate lore, and amazing memorabilia, including:
a booklet of pirate slang
a genuine advertisement to recruit pirates
a booklet of pirate biographies
a letter from William the III to Captain Kidd
a pullout featuring pirate weapons
a treasure map
a wanted poster for Blackbeard
sample playing cards
as well as flaps and fold outs galore.
Tough Boris, written by Meme Fox, illustrated by Kathryn Brown
Boris von der Borch is a mean, greedy old pirate–tough as nails, through and through, like all pirates. Or is he? When a young boy sneaks onto Boris’s ship, he discovers that even pirates cry, and so does he.
Pirates Go to School, written by Corinne Demas, illustrated by John Manders
A funny rhyming story about the silly things pirates do when they go to school. Pirates and their parrots go to school, and it’s time to hang up their swords and have fun. They learn reading and math, and they bring pirate treasure for show-and-tell. For pirates, going to school is as much fun as a game of “walk the plank”!
Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, written by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders
Step aboard, buccaneers and book lovers! Comically dramatic illustrations set the tone for this humorous, hare-raising adventure on the high seas.
“BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!”
Aboard a ship called the Salty Carrot sails a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies. Their leader, Barnacle Black Ear, is the baddest bunny brute of all time, but his son refuses to perform his proper pirating duties. Henry would rather read books than shout “Shiver me timbers ” or make prisoners walk the plank even if it means he has to swab the decks as punishment. But when a crashing, bashing, thrashing wildcat of a storm threatens the Salty Carrot and its crew, will Henry and his landlubbin’ library save the day?
Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese, written by Susan Schade, illustrated by Anne Kennedy
Shiver me whiskers! Someone has stolen the mice pirates most valuable loot: a great big chunk of cheese Captain Riff Raff and the gang set out to retrieve the stolen booty, but can the cheese be seized?
With colorful illustrations from Anne Kennedy and lively text from Susan Schade, Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese strengthens reading skills for beginning readers and buccaneers. Mice pirates and young readers use rhyming words and simple wordplay to solve the mystery of the missing cheese.
Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own, but still need a little help.
Half-Pint Pete the Pirate, written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Geraldo Valerio
Warm up your pirate voice for this energetic treasure hunt
Half-Pint Pete the Pirate sailed half the seven seas, but with only half of a treasure map, he’s never found what he’s looking for. Until the day he meets Belle – a pirate with half a map of her own. At first, Pete is eager to steal Belle’s share, but half a team isn’t enough to find the treasure, and Pete soon realizes that working together is much more fun!
Lively verse and bright illustrations make this high seas adventure fun for seafarers and landlubbers alike!
The Night Pirates, written by Peter Harris, illustrated by Deborah Allright, designed by Corina Fletcher
All aboard for a POP-UP adventure
One night, young Tom is awoken by noises outside his house. He peeps out of the window and what should he see but pirates. And stranger still they’re girl pirates stealing the front of his house Tom joins their pirate adventure across the high seas to an island where some rather lazy and silly grown-up pirates are guarding their treasure, but not very successfully. Tom and the girl pirates make a surprise attack and are soon off on the seas once more with the treasure.
Pajama Pirates, written by Andrew Kramer, illustrated by Leslie Lammie
G’night mateys . . .
Come bedtime, the pajama pirates know just what to do: put on their pj’s and let the treasure hunt begin!
They set sail on an adventure that’s filled with enemy pirate ships, a sword fight, a streak of lightning, and a storm sent by Mama Nature herself. But have no fear—these pajama pirates will not become shark bait!
This nighttime voyage full of fun will ultimately lead little ones to the calming tides of bed.
Book descriptions plundered from Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, Arizona.
