The Scrimshaw Ring

by William Jaspersohn

A young boy living in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1710 enjoys imaginary adventures with make-believe pirates, until the day that real pirates come ashore for evil purposes and leave him a remarkable memento.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy with a huge imagination is left at his home along the shore of Rhode Island while his parents go to town. It is then that pirates come ashore toting the body of the first mate and the bound captain. The captain is killed and both are put in graves and then the farmhouse is ram-shackled, with animals and chickens stolen. When the parents return they do not believe the boy's fanciful tale because of all of the many tales he has told in the past, but when he shows them the burial plots and the scrimshaw ring left to him by one of the sailors they have no choice but to believe. This story is loosely based on historical accounts from a family in Rhode Island.

[Andrea Labonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.