Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie *

 retold by Jim Dale

My eighth grader and I listened this audio version of Peter Pan.

Mr. Dale is an engaging and talented reader. 

I am not going summarize the plot since most people know the story.

As a kid, I had watched Disney's version of Peter Pan. It proved challenging to dispel images from the movie as I listened and visualized the story. The actual novel provides more depth. The writing is superb and rich. Quite a few times my son and I laughed out loud at the humor. Now I wish I had skipped Disney and just read the novel! 

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library (but I bought the novel for my son's birthday!)

Warning: Children are separated from their parents for awhile. The word "a**" is used throughout the novel. Characters die.

Treasure Island-Walt Disney DVD

 We watched this Disney Classic after my ninth grader and I read the novel. Although differences exist between the novel and movie, the movie was still enjoyable. Jim Hawkins is cast a lot younger than I imagined him being in the book. The older programing/effects give us a better appreciation how far "movie-making" has come!

Rated: PG (pirates, drinking, killing/violence, betrayal)

We own this DVD.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

This month my ninth grader is reading this novel for English. Since I had never read it, I read it so I could discuss it with him.

When a sea captain dies in his mother's inn, Admiral Benbow, Jim Hawkins discovers a treasure map in the man's chest. Sharing the map with the local doctor and squire, Jim finds himself swept off on a sea adventure and treasure hunt.

A coming -of-age novel (bildungsroman) and a quest tale.

I found the ship and seafaring vocabulary and terminology from Stevenson's time period challenging. 

I bought the version that includes N.C. Wyeth's illustrations from Barnes and Noble (a beautiful edition).

Points to discuss: drunkness, violence/murder, different character's views of God

Really Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

 Truly is savoring the last few days with her extended family from Texas as they gather for a reunion at Pumpkin Falls, NH.  Then her cousin Mackenzie spies a brochure for mermaid camp at Cape Cod and somehow convinces her parents and Truly's parents to allow them to attend.  Even though she will have an extra week with her cousin, who is also her best friend, Truly dreads mermaid camp.  Despite her initial repulsion of the camp, she adjusts and learns new aquatic skills.  She also discovers when they attend an author book signing at the Cape that her relative who founded the town, Pumpkin Falls, may have been a pirate who hid a treasure at a nearby lake.  When the girls return to Pumpkin Falls, Truly enlists the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes to search for the treasure.  

While Truly was at mermaid camp, I was not drawn to read this book.  Once she returns to Pumpkin Falls, however, I felt like the plot was more appealing and more exciting.  The mystery of who stole the 4K pumpkin trophy was anticlimatic.  I did not like this one as much as the other two books in the series.

I love the setting of Pumpkin Falls, the family bookstore, Truly's family, Truly's Aunt True. It is refreshing to have a realistic novel that promotes marriage (quite a few marriage proposals occur in this book) in the traditional sense.  

On her website, Ms. Frederick stated that she is working on a fourth Pumpkin Falls Mystery and is not sure if she will write a fifth one.  I  hope she does and keeps the setting exclusively at Pumpkin Falls.

Points to discuss/warnings: Truly is going into eighth grade and wants her love interest to kiss her.  The two of them are not officially dating nor have proclaimed devotion to each other, but try to kiss.  They are not successful.  Truly lies to her parents and sneaks out.  She is caught and punished and is a bit remorseful.

Who Was? Show on Netflix

A couple of weeks ago my sons and I watched an episode on the Who Was? Show produced by Netflix about Blackbeard and Sacagewea.  I was so disappointed in how they made Lewis and Clark appear like imcompetent, worthless individuals.  In order for them to prepare and to take this journey, they had to be skilled frontiersmen. 
The boys want to watch more of the episodes (we have studied a lot of the individuals they feature), but I am not so sure how worthwhile it will be.  We did not really learn anything new about Blackbeard or Sacagewea from watching it.

Pirate text set

We recently learned about the Golden Age of Piracy.    These books have supported our study.

I am currently reading aloud to my sons Who Was Blackbeard? by James Buckley Jr.
We have discovered an incorrect fact in it (based on what we have read in other resources)-that he put burning ropes in his beard.  What we have read is he actually put the burning  ropes in his hat.


2. P is for Pirate  A Pirate Adventure by Eve Bunting and illustrated by John Manders


3. Lives of the Pirates Swashbucklers, Scoundrels (Neighbors Beware!)
by Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt
My thirteen-year-old is reading this book to himself.  Nineteen pirates are featured.

-All books are borrowed from the library.

You Wouldn't Want to Explore with Sir Francis Drake! by David Stewart illustrated by David Antram

My boys really enjoy reading this series to support our history units.
Humor abounds within the context of history.
This one shares the adventures and raids led by Sir Francis Drake during the reign of Elizabeth I. 
Was he a pirate or privateer?!
-Borrowed from the library.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash illustrated by Lynn Munsinger*

Belinda lives with her pets- dog, cat, mouse and dragon.  The dog, cat, and mouse boast of their bravery, while Custard the Dragon is a admittedly a coward.  Then a pirate barges into their safe haven and who saves Belinda from the pirate? 
The entire story is told in rhyme.  I read this aloud to my boys during our dragon themed poetry teatime.  They enjoyed it!

Judy Moody and Stink-The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt by Megan McDonald illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

My eight year old read this book to himself.
"Stink and Judy go to an island and they see a smart girl and a tall boy.  Stink and Judy have a treasure hunt and they think the smart girl and tall boy will beat them."
-Borrowed from the library.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson Performed by Jim Dale

Audio book
Mr. Dale did a tremendous job recording this book.  His voices were authentic for each character.

Did you ever wonder how Peter Pan become the boy who could fly and who never grows up?  This book will provide answers to these questions.
Peter, an orphan, is on a ship with his four fellow orphans who are destined to become a king's servants.  A mysterious trunk and spunky girl name Molly make the voyage especially exciting.  Apparently the trunk contains powerful magic.  Before he knows it, Peter is fighting pirates, flying, outsmarting savages and a crocodile and communicating with mermaids.  Can he save the lives of his friends and the mysterious trunk?
Peter is an admirable character who is intelligent, resourceful and caring.  He places himself in danger to ensure his friends are safe and time after time, chooses to save lives even if he could perish.
The authors effortlessly developed the characters well and described scenes vividly yet kept each chapter packed with suspense and adventure.
Guided Reading Level: X (6th grade)
Warning: The reason I am not highly recommending it is a couple of times an adult male says "d---"-totally unnecessary.  Molly's nanny spends a lot of time in a shipmate's room in the evenings(but it is not elaborated).  The pirates  .  . .act like pirates so there is a lot "stupids" and "dumbs"  being expressed.  The fighting scenes were sometimes graphic, describing that there was blood.

The Voyage to Magical North by Claire Fayers

Brine does not remember her parents or her home country.  All she recalls is sitting in a rowboat, clutching a starshell (which contains magic).  A magician took her in as a servant.  The other house occupant, Peter, the magician's apprentice, annoys her beyond belief.  Together they escape their less than ideal lives.  Cassie O'Pia, a famous pirate, rescues them and gives them the opportunity to begin new lives-one with danger, adventure and hope.   To their horror, an evil magician that Cassie had supposedly destroyed emerges and uses his magic to achieve power, enough to control the whole world.  Will Peter, an amateur magician, Cassie, an optimistic pirate and Brine, an intelligent planner, overcome this powerful magic?  Can they preserve the stories of human and the world?
The end of the book gave the impression that a sequel may be coming.
Points to discuss: worldview-evolution; feelings of being insignificant, accidental humans
                              Tom, a character introduced in the middle of the book, was told he was a girl his whole life but figured out he was a boy.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Four siblings are spending the summer along England's Lake District.  Their father, who is away at sea, gives them permission to camp out on an island.  When they land their boat, Swallow, on the island, they see signs that someone else has made a camp there.  Soon adventures begin as they encounter a surly man living in a houseboat and two rambunctious sisters (The Amazons) who declared war on them.
Full of adventure yet it took me awhile to read the book (older English).  I am not sure how readers in modern times would like the book?
Youngsters nowadays are clueless about playing in this imaginative manner and playing unsupervised.  I am curious how readers today would respond to this book.  Would they be able to relate to these children's imaginations and their ability and willingness to problem solve?
I really liked the mother -she played along with their imaginations and gave them enough space to play and take risks.

Strategies: check for understanding, schema (boating terms, pirates, 1930's England, Robinson Crusoe)

See Me Dig by Paul Meisel

"I Like to Read" book
Very simple text with picture support.
Funny story with digging dogs who eventually are scared away by ghost pirates.
Great for beginning readers.

Small Saul by Ashley Spires

Ever since he was small, Saul wanted to be on the sea.  Because of his size, he is only accepted on a pirate ship.  He is not your typical pirate. It takes losing him for the pirates to appreciate him.

The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Gris Grimly

Two siblings sneak out of the house to seek a treasure underneath their city.  The story is told via the order of the alphabet (but do not trust the order . . . the observant reader will notice a mistake-on purpose by the author!).    The illustrations include objects that begin with the "starring" letter.
This books is, in my opinion, very gruesome and celebrates death, ghosts, evil.  I did not share it with my boys.

Twenty-six Pirates An Alphabet Book by Dave Horowitz

Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a different boy pirate's name. The description of each pirate is a rhyming couplet.   The focused letter is somewhere on the pirate.  The font for the boy's name is different from the rest of the words and a bit fancy for kids to recognize the letter.  Full page illustrations
Not my favorite alphabet book but will appeal to pirate loving kids.