Lives of the Pirates

Krull continues her Lives Of series (LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS, LIVES OF THE WRITERS, LIVES OF THE ATHLETES) with the group kids love best: those dirty, dastardly, devilish pirates. Ray Childs takes all the male parts, and Kymberly Dakin handles a healthy contingent of female swashbucklers, including Madame Chung, Lady Mary Killigrew, and Grace O'Malley. There's a tongue-in-cheek tone to each entry, although the book is rich in facts, details, and intriguing speculation, such as which famous male pirate might actually have been a woman. Nineteen profiles--from the real-life Blackbeard to the fictional Long John Silver--make up this crew. The two narrators sail through the short biographies with grace and wit, letting listeners know that today's pirates are ocean-going thugs--and that people felt the same way in days of yore. M.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

July 1, 2010
Gr 4–7—-ased on a tantalizing mix of hard facts and credible rumors, Kathleen Krull's book (Harcourt, 2010) contain 20 brief biographies of pirates arranged chronologically. The earliest is Alvilda, a Scandinavian princess whose pirating helped her avoid an unwanted suitor. Kymberly Dakin narrates the women's tales, including Madame Cheng, the inspiration for the Dragon Lady in "Terry and the Pirates" Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen; and Lady Mary Killigrew, among others. Ray Childs reads the stories of the male pirates, such as Sir Frances Drake, Captain Kidd, Black Beard, Jean Lafitte, Long John Silver, and others. Both narrators capture the irony and humor of the text, savoring the gossipy details of these sensational lives. Random sections called "Buried Treasure" tell of recent hunts for sunken ships and relate interesting developments in pirate lore. Krull vividly presents these swashbucklers and scoundrels, and their dramatic stories will excite the imaginations of listeners. A solid choice for school and public libraries.—"Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN"

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