What do you think?
Rate this book
Pirates
Come aboard for a fantastic real-life pirate adventure. Find out what a pirate's life was really like—how they captured ships and where they buried all their treasure!
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 1997
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 24, 2017
I liked how she set the story. Saying where it's taking place and what year it is. It was exciting when she said "Little do the Spanish sailors know, but on the other side of the island, another ship is waiting. It is a pirate ship!" It caught my interest.
I'd read in another pirate book that as long as there have been ships carrying treasure there have been pirate ships to steal from them. I liked that we got to know the character, that the captain had a plan to trick the Spanish ship with a Spanish flag.
I just love pirate culture and I liked how she wrote it out. The flag said "We are pirates!" And "Surrender or be sorry!"
I thought this was about a made-up pirate, not Calico Jack, and was disappointed it was about a real person. I've heard enough about them. I thought this would be its own unique story.
I don't think I had ever heard of pirates using smoke bombs.
I liked that it was interactive. "Does the slow, heavy Spanish galleon stand a chance? No!"
She brought their way of life to light and I enjoyed it. Things like saying they were a colorful and frightening sight, waving cutlasses and wearing bright scarves, buckles, gold and jewels that they stole.
I had also read in that other book that money and jewels aren't all they stole. They wanted medicine and food too.
I didn't know pirates burned what they couldn't carry. That made them even more vicious! Or that lanterns and candles had to be out by 8 at night. I wanted to know why.
It put it into perspective that when not robbing ships they spent their time looking and waiting for ships to rob. When she said it might take weeks pirate life really sounded dull! They spent most of their time repairing the ship but I had never heard that they fished for their meals or else they had to eat nasty biscuits and warm beer.
It was so random how she suddenly talked of Blackbeard and burying his treasure and his beard, and then further lost the story as she said people have searched for it but never found it. I thought this was about Calico. Since this wasn't actually a story about a specific pirate it should have been general information and not highlighted any one pirate because it didn't flow. And it was supposed to be 1718 so it shouldn't have jumped to present day. It jolted me out of the story.
She went on to highlight a handful of other pirates from history and I lost the story that started out in the beginning. It seemed like such a charming story at the start and then just lost itself as it turned into general pirate information and then a biography of select pirates, so it was kind of a jumble.
I liked hearing about the Swedish princess who went out to see with her own ship and crew when her dad ordered her to marry someone she didn't want to.
I was liking the book so much and enjoying reading but it underwent such a transformation from the first page to the last. She started out setting the stage for a tale but it was lost. It's like she didn't know whose story to tell so it ended up being about no one really.
I'd read in another pirate book that as long as there have been ships carrying treasure there have been pirate ships to steal from them. I liked that we got to know the character, that the captain had a plan to trick the Spanish ship with a Spanish flag.
I just love pirate culture and I liked how she wrote it out. The flag said "We are pirates!" And "Surrender or be sorry!"
I thought this was about a made-up pirate, not Calico Jack, and was disappointed it was about a real person. I've heard enough about them. I thought this would be its own unique story.
I don't think I had ever heard of pirates using smoke bombs.
I liked that it was interactive. "Does the slow, heavy Spanish galleon stand a chance? No!"
She brought their way of life to light and I enjoyed it. Things like saying they were a colorful and frightening sight, waving cutlasses and wearing bright scarves, buckles, gold and jewels that they stole.
I had also read in that other book that money and jewels aren't all they stole. They wanted medicine and food too.
I didn't know pirates burned what they couldn't carry. That made them even more vicious! Or that lanterns and candles had to be out by 8 at night. I wanted to know why.
It put it into perspective that when not robbing ships they spent their time looking and waiting for ships to rob. When she said it might take weeks pirate life really sounded dull! They spent most of their time repairing the ship but I had never heard that they fished for their meals or else they had to eat nasty biscuits and warm beer.
It was so random how she suddenly talked of Blackbeard and burying his treasure and his beard, and then further lost the story as she said people have searched for it but never found it. I thought this was about Calico. Since this wasn't actually a story about a specific pirate it should have been general information and not highlighted any one pirate because it didn't flow. And it was supposed to be 1718 so it shouldn't have jumped to present day. It jolted me out of the story.
She went on to highlight a handful of other pirates from history and I lost the story that started out in the beginning. It seemed like such a charming story at the start and then just lost itself as it turned into general pirate information and then a biography of select pirates, so it was kind of a jumble.
I liked hearing about the Swedish princess who went out to see with her own ship and crew when her dad ordered her to marry someone she didn't want to.
I was liking the book so much and enjoying reading but it underwent such a transformation from the first page to the last. She started out setting the stage for a tale but it was lost. It's like she didn't know whose story to tell so it ended up being about no one really.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2021
I think pirates are cool, so when I found this informational book on them, I had to get it.
‘As long as there have been ships to carry treasure across the seas, there have been pirate ships to rob them.’ I didn’t know that.
I didn’t know that pirates would raise flags, like a Spanish flag to a Spanish ship, to appear friendly, so the other boat thinks it’s friendly and won’t sail away.
When they’re close to the ship, the captain calls “Hoist the Holly Roger,” which shows the other ship they’re pirates and to surrender.
The flag with crossed swords under a skull belonged to Calico Jack.
I like the page with the other flags.
I didn’t know that the pirates fought with smoke bombs, which sounds modern, as well as cannons.
The pirate ship is smaller and faster, and contains more guns, having more advantage than slower, heavier ships.
I didn’t like the way this was worded: ‘Does the slow, heavy Spanish galleon stand a chance? No!’
Two cannonballs chained together was sent to the Spanish ship’s mast, to prevent them from sailing away.
The pirates wore bright scarves, silver buckles, gold and jewels, and sharp cutlasses, taken from other sailors.
It mentions pieces of eight, which I’ve heard before, and just sounds cool, although I’m not sure what it is. They also had gold doubloons, pearls and rubies.
The pirates weren’t just after money and jewels. They’d been at sea for a long time, and some were sick and hungry. Food and medicine was as valuable as gold to them. I was surprised to learn that.
They take what they can, and burn what they can’t carry. They sail away and divide up the loot. The pirates get equal shares, besides the captain, who gets more. This is part of the pirates’ code.
Like the book said, even though they were thieves and murderers, many pirate crews made up their own strict laws to live by. That’s surprising. I also didn’t know ships made up their own. I thought the rules were all the same.
-crew members get equal share, captain gets twice as much. Captain will be elected fairly. Everyone has equal vote. No gambling on the ship. While at sea, lanterns and candles are out by 8. Stealing from crewmates and deserting will be punished.
If a pirate broke a ship’s code, he was punished. For a small crime like gambling, a pirate might be fined. If he stole from a shipmate, he was marooned. Taken to a deserted island and left with nothing but a jug of water.
This was funny: ‘what did a pirate do when he was not robbing ships and counting up his loot? He waited at sea for the next ship to rob!’
Sometimes they would wait for weeks, and a pirate’s life was boring then.
They spent most of their time repairing the ship, by patching up ripped sails and meding lines.
I was surprised that pirate’s had to catch their dinner, and if they didn’t find any fish, they would have to eat hard, wormy biscuits and warm beer. I never really thought about them catching their food.
The best time for pirates was after they found treasure, when they returned to shore to celebrate. Port Royal, Jamaica was a favorite hangout for pirates in the Carribean.
I love how it brushes over what they really did, and naturally wenches are left out. ‘There they ate and drank, gambled and acted as wild as they could.’ They spent their treasure and it was time to hunt for more treasure.
Not all pirates spent all their treasure. Blackbeard was said to have buried lot of his treasure, but was captured before he could return for it. He was one of them meanest pirates. He wore colored ribbons in his beard--I didn’t know that--and he stuck lit matches under his hat. No one has found his treasure. He looks more crazy than frightening!
Captain Kidd was one of the most famous pirates, and was said to have buried his treasure too, on Gardiner’s Island near Long Island, NY.
I haven’t heard of Benito Bonito--his parents must have had a sense of humor--who was of the Bloody Sword. His treasure is called the Lost Loot of Lima. Some say it was buried on an island off South America; the island is called “Treasure Island.”
I haven’t heard about a crew of only women, that sailed around the Baltic Sea 800 years ago. The captain was a Swedish princess named Alwilda. When her dad ordered her to marry a prince she didn’t love, she ran away to sea and became the leader of an all-women pirate crew. That sounds fun!
Usually women weren’t allowed on pirate ships. I’m surprised the author didn’t mention that they were thought to be bad luck.
However, Calico Jack had two women on his crew, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. They both dressed as men, so their shipmates and prisoners didn’t know who they were. When Calico Jack finally discovered they were women--I wish it had mentioned how he discovered that--he kept their secret, because they were two of his bravest pirates, and he didn’t want to lose them.
Today, ships still carry treasures across the oceans, but they’re much faster and stronger, and guard their riches better.
It ends with the dangerous days of pirates being over, and that everyone still loves to hear stories about the ‘wild robbers of the seas’ which is true.
It ended with a drawing of a pirate ship, though, making it seem like ships still look like that today. I also didn’t think about or realize that ships carry riches on them today.
This is a good book on pirates, with some interesting information on them. Because it's a kid's book, it doesn't go into much detail, but it covers the basics of pirates, and then mentions the most famous, or infamous I guess I should say, pirates.
‘As long as there have been ships to carry treasure across the seas, there have been pirate ships to rob them.’ I didn’t know that.
I didn’t know that pirates would raise flags, like a Spanish flag to a Spanish ship, to appear friendly, so the other boat thinks it’s friendly and won’t sail away.
When they’re close to the ship, the captain calls “Hoist the Holly Roger,” which shows the other ship they’re pirates and to surrender.
The flag with crossed swords under a skull belonged to Calico Jack.
I like the page with the other flags.
I didn’t know that the pirates fought with smoke bombs, which sounds modern, as well as cannons.
The pirate ship is smaller and faster, and contains more guns, having more advantage than slower, heavier ships.
I didn’t like the way this was worded: ‘Does the slow, heavy Spanish galleon stand a chance? No!’
Two cannonballs chained together was sent to the Spanish ship’s mast, to prevent them from sailing away.
The pirates wore bright scarves, silver buckles, gold and jewels, and sharp cutlasses, taken from other sailors.
It mentions pieces of eight, which I’ve heard before, and just sounds cool, although I’m not sure what it is. They also had gold doubloons, pearls and rubies.
The pirates weren’t just after money and jewels. They’d been at sea for a long time, and some were sick and hungry. Food and medicine was as valuable as gold to them. I was surprised to learn that.
They take what they can, and burn what they can’t carry. They sail away and divide up the loot. The pirates get equal shares, besides the captain, who gets more. This is part of the pirates’ code.
Like the book said, even though they were thieves and murderers, many pirate crews made up their own strict laws to live by. That’s surprising. I also didn’t know ships made up their own. I thought the rules were all the same.
-crew members get equal share, captain gets twice as much. Captain will be elected fairly. Everyone has equal vote. No gambling on the ship. While at sea, lanterns and candles are out by 8. Stealing from crewmates and deserting will be punished.
If a pirate broke a ship’s code, he was punished. For a small crime like gambling, a pirate might be fined. If he stole from a shipmate, he was marooned. Taken to a deserted island and left with nothing but a jug of water.
This was funny: ‘what did a pirate do when he was not robbing ships and counting up his loot? He waited at sea for the next ship to rob!’
Sometimes they would wait for weeks, and a pirate’s life was boring then.
They spent most of their time repairing the ship, by patching up ripped sails and meding lines.
I was surprised that pirate’s had to catch their dinner, and if they didn’t find any fish, they would have to eat hard, wormy biscuits and warm beer. I never really thought about them catching their food.
The best time for pirates was after they found treasure, when they returned to shore to celebrate. Port Royal, Jamaica was a favorite hangout for pirates in the Carribean.
I love how it brushes over what they really did, and naturally wenches are left out. ‘There they ate and drank, gambled and acted as wild as they could.’ They spent their treasure and it was time to hunt for more treasure.
Not all pirates spent all their treasure. Blackbeard was said to have buried lot of his treasure, but was captured before he could return for it. He was one of them meanest pirates. He wore colored ribbons in his beard--I didn’t know that--and he stuck lit matches under his hat. No one has found his treasure. He looks more crazy than frightening!
Captain Kidd was one of the most famous pirates, and was said to have buried his treasure too, on Gardiner’s Island near Long Island, NY.
I haven’t heard of Benito Bonito--his parents must have had a sense of humor--who was of the Bloody Sword. His treasure is called the Lost Loot of Lima. Some say it was buried on an island off South America; the island is called “Treasure Island.”
I haven’t heard about a crew of only women, that sailed around the Baltic Sea 800 years ago. The captain was a Swedish princess named Alwilda. When her dad ordered her to marry a prince she didn’t love, she ran away to sea and became the leader of an all-women pirate crew. That sounds fun!
Usually women weren’t allowed on pirate ships. I’m surprised the author didn’t mention that they were thought to be bad luck.
However, Calico Jack had two women on his crew, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. They both dressed as men, so their shipmates and prisoners didn’t know who they were. When Calico Jack finally discovered they were women--I wish it had mentioned how he discovered that--he kept their secret, because they were two of his bravest pirates, and he didn’t want to lose them.
Today, ships still carry treasures across the oceans, but they’re much faster and stronger, and guard their riches better.
It ends with the dangerous days of pirates being over, and that everyone still loves to hear stories about the ‘wild robbers of the seas’ which is true.
It ended with a drawing of a pirate ship, though, making it seem like ships still look like that today. I also didn’t think about or realize that ships carry riches on them today.
This is a good book on pirates, with some interesting information on them. Because it's a kid's book, it doesn't go into much detail, but it covers the basics of pirates, and then mentions the most famous, or infamous I guess I should say, pirates.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2016
Not exactly Captain Jack Sparrow or anything but it was a good read. Wish they would have more pirate stories.
March 18, 2018
I love pirates so this was an enjoyable read for me. The illustrations are really nice and detailed. You can really sense the texture and movement in the illustrations. It told a little bit about a pirate life, a little bit about a couple famous pirates, such as Blackbeard, and what a pirate is and their code/rules. Overall I liked the book. Initially I was thinking this could be a book for preschoolers, but then I read it and thought maybe not. I don't really think they're ready to see pirates fighting and learning that they killed people and bombed ships for their treasure.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews