Captured by Pirates

September 1, 2007
Gr 4 Up-In the style of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series (Bantam), "Pirates" allows readers to control where the story goes, using both fairly lengthy prose and comic-book-style pages to move it along. The medium works well with the second-person narration, and Witt's illustrations provide an excellent reflection of the tone created by the Fonteses. The only downside to the story is the lack of happy endings; in many instances, "you" end up either dead or mourning the loss of a parent. One possibility leaves the story completely open-ended. Where variations on the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series are popular, this is sure to be a hit."Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2007
Hopping on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure bandwagon, Graphic Universe introduces the Twisted Journey series, including a visual element to highlight their ghosts, skeletons, and mummies. Part text and part comic book, this entry casts readers as an English lad setting sail in 1635, making decisions to determine the outcome of encounters with many seagoing dangers. Capitalizing on the resurgence of pirate popularity, this winding tale incorporates some historical education, while powerful (and sometimes harsh) consequences are introduced into the outcomes. Decisions include an array of moral quandaries as well as standard how do I escape from danger? elements. Many of the conclusions seem abrupt, but with paths that allowreaders to end their journey as a pirate, a scientist, a musician, an orphan, a slave owner, a chicken farmer, or, in alarmingly many cases, someone quite dead, theres enough variety to keep readers going for several entertaining journeys.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)