Pirates and Shipwrecks: True Stories

by Tom McCarthy

When Daniel Collins and the crew of the Betsey set sail for Cuba in 1824, they have no idea of the horrors that lie ahead. This is just one of the stories in a collection of five true tales about pirates and shipwrecks that introduces readers to the perils of the high seas.

Pirates and True Stories is the first book in the Mystery & Mayhem series for 9–12 year olds, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery & Mayhem series delves into the past to provide kids with a jumping-off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history.

Each of the true tales in Pirates and Shipwrecks , including stories about pirate Barbarossa and adventurer John Franklin, is paired with interesting facts about the setting, industry, and time period. A glossary and index provide the opportunity to use essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots, drawing in both avid and reluctant readers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Pirates, History, Childrens

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 11, 2016

About the author

Tom McCarthy has been an award-winning writer and editor for more than twenty-five years. As an editor and ghostwriter for various publishers in New York City, Maine, and Connecticut, he developed and edited titles that have won such awards as Harvard University's Goldsmith Award for Book of the Year; Readers Digest Top Five Summer Books; Sports Illustrated's Top Books of the Year; and Esquire's The Year's Five Best Reads, among others. As the series editor for several best-selling collections, including Incredible Pirate Tales, Ghost Pirates, and Incredible Tales of the Sea, he has developed a knack for finding great stories for readers of all ages. He lives in Guilford, Connecticut.

Reviews

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five interesting stories that should grab kids' attention. In that sense, the book is a success.

I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, however. It was extremely chatty and colloquial, and the degree to which it was both of those things seemed to be masking a dearth of historical facts. The author probably had some compelling stories to tell, about which little was actually known, and so he larded up the stories with suppositions, assumptions, and conversational asides to make it go down a little easier.
I also found a number of grammatical errors and typos.

[Cindy Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers aged 9 to 12 are often attracted to stories about pirates and shipwrecks, and that may be especially true when those stories are about events that happened to real people. That’s the appeal of Pirates and Shipwrecks: True Stories by Tom McCarthy, a title in the Mystery & Mayhem series.

McCarthy features three shipwrecks and two pirates in this quick read that is sure to keep the pages turning. There’s the story of Daniel Collins, whose ship went down near Cuba and who escaped death when most others in his crew died. There’s also the tale of Captain Douty, who had to keep a group of English soldiers and their families safe after their ships wrecked in a storm near islands where cannibals lived.

Readers learn about the background of the infamous pirate Barbarossa as well as that of Mary Reed, one of two female pirates to operate in the Caribbean. It’s all a lot of fun that will encourage young readers to enjoy learning facts about events from history.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a paper about piracy in the Caribbean due in a few days, and the info from two of the tales in this book might be useful for some filler info. As a juv book, it has the perfect amount of blood and gore to be exciting but still age appropriate.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed all the stories
I will do great at Pirate Jeopardy

[Alison]

Kid”s book
Very cute
Read in 2019

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the "Mystery & Mayhem" series, this paperback book provides clear and often graphic information on five stories of survival, piracy, and cannibalism, all set on or near the high seas. Shipwreck survivors fall afoul of pirates. Female pirates prove bloodier than their male counterparts. Cannibalism raises its ugly head. Barbarossa finally gets what's coming to him. The writing is crisp and compelling and interesting. This is a real page-turner as these compelling true stories are brought to light for a modern audience. I would not, however, recommend this for elementary age students. Teens and up, however, would find the stories both suspenseful and interesting.

[Brandon Garrels]

This book would be a biography as they are true stories of encounters with pirates. It would target fifth and sixth grade students and I paired it with Hook's Revenge. I paired these books because they both involve pirates and ships in the high seas.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The content needs to be amped up. There are no photos in this book and the only illustrations are two maps. I wanted to book talk this title, but there's no way a kid will pick this up and enjoy it.

[Andréa]

Note: I received an ARC of this book as a prize from the publisher.