Hostage on the Nighthawk

Trailblazer Books (Chronological) #6

by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson

After weeks of waiting, thirteen-year-old Theodore Story finally spots the billowing sails of the Canterbury, the ship returning Governor William Penn, a close friend of Theo’s family, to Philadelphia. During the governor’s fifteen-year absence, such wild pirates as Captain Kidd have corrupted the “city of brotherly love.” Maybe now things will get back to normal, Theo silently hopes. Shortly after the governor settles in, however, Theo’s grandfather dies, and Theo, his mother, and his sister set sail for England. When several members of their ship’s crew contract yellow fever, the family desperately hails a passing vessel and transfers over.

But something’s not right about this new ship and its ragtag crew. As the cabin door clicks shut behind him, Theo notices it locks from the outside. They are being held hostage by pirates! Theo vows to save his mother and sister, but with escape almost impossible, how can he outsmart the bandits and get word to Governor Penn?

An adventure story, ideal for readers 8-12 years of age.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Juvenile

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Dave and Neta Jackson are a full-time husband/wife writing team who have authored and co-authored many books on marriage and family, the church, relationships, and other subjects. Their books for children include the TRAILBLAZER series and Hero Tales, volumes I,II, III, and IV. The Jacksons make their home in Evanston, Illinois.

Reviews

[Merenwen Inglorion · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great kid’s story that I enjoyed far better when I was younger than I did in this re-read.

The writing is very action-focused. There’s little description, save for a handful of character intros, and just enough scenery detail to give you an idea of the surroundings.
These are colonial times, so people die; the main deaths are from yellow fever, and one lad gets his arm blown off because he tried to handle a cannon by himself. He lives for a little while, but ends up dying. The aftermath of the explosion is described as “bloody” and things like “it didn’t look like his friend lying there”.

This story showcases how destructive the “live and let live” mentality can be, and was to the colonials. In a very relatable way (believing it to be none of his business, thinking that he’ll just see how things play out, etc.), Theodoric learns that turning a blind eye to wrongdoing is not the best way to live, especially for a Christian.
Theo gets plenty of opportunity to test his mettle, especially once he and his family are captured by pirates.

The story’s message isn’t heavy-handed, but delivered to Theo through trusted adult figures, and their advice is reinforced through his own mistakes and triumphs.
Questions about slavery, the rights and duties of man, and bad men doing some good or being nice are confronted, sometimes simply as a side conversation.

There are also notes about the historical accuracy of some of the characters (William Penn, Theo’s father, etc.), which I always enjoy.

I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it for myself, but I would absolutely love to read this with or to a child.

[Lissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to the kids to go along with our history and they enjoyed it !

[Grace Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assigned to read this whole series in middle school, and I learned a lot. Great educational read!

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too baby-ish. Read it for PA History.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter read this. I was pleasantly surprised at the historical accuracy around this piece of fiction, and how it all tied into following Jesus Christ. Loved the moral at the end of the story. I think this author may become a favorite.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

See the first book in the series (Spy for the Night Riders) for a full review.