Piratica : being a daring tale of a singular girl’s adventure upon the high seas

Title: Piratica : being a daring tale of a singular girls adventure upon the high seas
Author: Tanith Lee
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Year of Publication: 2004

About the book:
16-year-old Artemesia Fitz-Willoughby (or Art, for short) has spent the last 6 years of her life stuck in the Angels Academy for Young Maidens. She remembers nothing of her previous life before Angels Academy until she takes a tumble down some stairs...
After hitting her head on a bannister, her mind begins to fill with the memory of her previous life, one full of pirates and swordfights and cannons, and her mother, a famous pirate, and Art escapes the school in search for adventure!
When it's revealed that the life she remembers was merely a stage play, that her mother and her crew were an acting troupe, Art remains undaunted and convinces them to join her and become real pirates!
While some of the plot elements can be a little far-fetched, Piratica is a fun read. Filled with derring-do and swashbuckling adventure, and a strong-minded female at the helm, this book is great for those who like an adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously. Piratica: being a daring tale of a singular girls adventure upon the high seas is the first of the Piratica series, which spans three books.

Polly and the Pirates

 

Title: Polly and the Pirates
Author: Ted Naifeh
Publisher: Oni Press
Year of Publication: 2006



About the book:
Polly Pringle, stuck in a prim and proper finishing school, yearns for adventure and romance, much like in the tales she grew up with about Meg Malloy, the pirate queen.
When she is kidnapped by the Meg Malloy’s crew of pirates, she discovers that her dead mother was none other than the pirate queen herself!
Now Polly must follow the footsteps of her sea-faring mother to recover her mother’s treasure map, stolen by a rival pirate king determined to keep Meg Malloy’s pirate treasure for himself.

Naifeh’s art is close enough to the typical manga style, but still retains his own unique look that brings his characters to life. Polly is a strong character, who grows from being a quiet, prim and proper young lady to a pirate queen.

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens

Title: The Ballad of the Pirate Queens
Author: Jane Yolen ; with illustrations by David Shannon
Publisher: Voyager Books
Year of Publication: 1995

About the Book:
You're never too old for a picture book, especially one was beautifully illustrated as this one, for a poem about two of the most well known female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

The poem follows the pirate duo as they take on a 'Man 'O War' ship, while the rest of the male crew, including the Captain Calico Jack just drink. Anne and Mary put up a good fight, but are eventually taken and then put to trial.

Saved from death by 'pleading their bellies', Yolen leaves the ending open ended, with Yolen speculating on where Anne and Mary end up (grandmothers telling their grandchildren of their pirate life.

Illustrations by Shannon are gorgeously done, and Yolen's poem has great rhythm and rhyme that greatly lends itself to being read aloud.

Even if you think yourself above picture books, this one is well worth a look. If only for the beautiful illustrations done by Shannon. This book brings the story of the two of the most famous female pirates into a fun and accessible format at anyone at any age can enjoy.