Teach's Light: A Tale of Blackbeard the Pirate

by Nell Wise Wechter, Bruce Tucker

The legend of Teach's Light has been handed down by the people of Stumpy Point village in coastal North Carolina for nearly three centuries. None can say when the mysterious light that hovers above Little Dismal Swamp will next appear, but it is said to guard a store of treasure buried long ago by Edward Teach (c. 1680-1718), better known as the infamous pirate Blackbeard.

One summer evening, teenagers Corky Calhoun and Toby Davis row into the swamp, drawn by the mystery of Teach's Light. But their adventure soon takes a curious turn. Thrown back in time by a sudden explosion, Corky and Toby find themselves floating safely above seventeenth-century England, as Blackbeard's life unfolds below. They watch as the orphaned Edward Teach decides to stow away across the Atlantic, begins his career as the fearsome Blackbeard, stages terrible raids from the Caribbean to North Carolina aboard his ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge , and, finally, is beheaded in a battle with the British Crown's ships. An inventive blend of history and science fiction, Teach's Light brings Blackbeard's story vividly to life.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this little book while on our Outer Banks tour a few months ago. I always like to visit the local independent bookstores and see what local writers and regional stories they have on offer. This one was in the children's section of the store, but it's really probably intended for upper elementary or junior high school kids, not the little ones. The protagonists are high schoolers who live near a swamp that is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of Blackbeard the Pirate. A light can be seen hovering over the swamp, and legend says it guards a treasure. The kids go exploring and end up getting caught up in the light, which turns out to be some sort of time-traveling device. They spend the majority of the book hovering over the world observing the life and adventures of Blackbeard, but only from a distance. They never interact with him or anyone in his world.

I have to say I was disappointed in this book. Not only was the writing rather stilted and awkward, but the entire premise was strange. The main characters were merely observers for the majority of the story which made the whole thing feel very uncomfortable somehow. I did learn more about Blackbeard, but I did not enjoy the process as much as I could have had the writer put the outside characters more into the tale. I guess I was expecting something more like The Magic Treehouse or Ben and Me. This was sadly lacking and a bit dated (originally published in 1977). That said, a kid might like it. I don't know. It just didn't work for me.