Ahoy! Pirate Books for Boys (and Girls)

From Black Beard to Anne Bonny, pirates have intrigued the masses for eons. They elicit fear and fascination simultaneously, producing folklore, Hollywood movies, school mascots and books – lots of books.

The nonfiction book “A Thousand Years of Pirates” (ages 10-14) recently earned two nominations for the Canadian Children’s Literature Awards. Written by  William Gilkerson of Nova Scotia’s Mahone Bay, the book relates the history of swashbucklers from the Vikings to contemporary pirates, who menace coastlines and open seas around the world. The book is nominated for “Best Book” and “Best Nonfiction Book,” making it eligible for $35,000 in prize money.

“This clear and compelling cross-over [history] for all ages includes not only biographical and dramatic narratives but also the rarely told sordid and sad details of piracy,” the jury said, according to a CBC News report.

For readers who like adventure, BigUniverse.com offers several pirate selections.

• “Pirates,” a graphic written by Joanne Mattern and illustrated by Chris Marrinan, features buccaneers and privateers of the seven seas. Juvenile Level. Historical, but violence mentioned. (Rourke)
• “Lucky the Pirate,” a humorous (but gruesome) tall tale, is written and illustrated by cartoonist John Lakey. Reading Level 2-3. (Remedia)
• “Vikings,” a graphic-styled book about Norsemen pirates, is written by journalism professor Don McLeese and illustrated by Chris Marrinan. Juvenile Level. Historical, but violence mentioned. (Rourke)

For other pirate book suggestions, check out National Geographic’s buccaneer book list. You also can visit the website of Charlesbridge, one of Big Universe’s publishing partners. It offers pirate-themed books such as Fluffy: Scourge of the Sea (Ages 4-7), “Pirate Bob” (Ages 5-9), “A Pirate’s Life for Me” (Ages 3-7) and “Sea Queens” (Ages 9-12).

To double the fun, host a pirate party. Visit these three links for ideas.

1. Pirate party games
2. Pirate coloring pages
3. Pirate party crafts

 UPDATE: (Sept. 3, 2010) Three additional pirate-themed books have been added to Big Universe’s library. They are listed under the Read Aloud/humor categories: “I Sail the Sea,” “The Pirates: Row Your Boat“ and “The Pirates? The Princess” are published by MightyBooks. They are “talkies” and are animated, too.