Name: How I Became a Pirate
ISBN: 9780152018481

Melinda Long

Jeremy Jacob joins Braid Beard and his pirate crew and finds out about pirate language, pirate manners, and other aspects of their life.

How I Became a Pirate

Sarah Sammis

Sean and I picked How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long from a recent Scholastic book club catalogue. We both enjoy pirate stories.

In How I Became a Pirate Jeremy Jacob is at the beach with his parents when he sees a pirate ship sail by. The pirates invite him to join them and he agrees. See Jeremy has exceptional digging skills from all his sandcastle building and the pirates are in need of a digger to help them find their treasure!

The book is a good mix of adventure and the home life. The pirates don't make him eat his veggies and they don't expect table manners. On the other hand, he doesn't have a comfy bed or someone to tuck him in. I liked that the pirate life gave Jeremy reasons to want to go home. So often the adventures are so fantastic that there's no reason for the protagonist to go back home and yet he usually does.

It's a good start to the classic tale of a young boy befriended by pirates. See also Camp Buccaneer by Pam Smallcomb, Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.