The Best Book of Pirates

Grade 3-5-This slightly oversized introduction to piracy through the ages begins with a definition and ends with a page on "Pirates of today." In between are spreads on Caribbean and Barbary pirates, Chinese pirate chiefs, female practitioners of the trade, buried treasure, and more. Each topic is briefly covered in a paragraph of large-print text, supplemented by detailed captions for the numerous drawings. The colorful illustrations detail different pirate flags; a cross-section of Captain Kidd's ship, the Adventure Galley; an assortment of weapons; and plentiful scenes of pirates in action. This book will suit those children whose reading ability lies somewhere between Gail Gibbons's Pirates (Little, Brown, 1993) and Christopher Maynard's Pirates (DK, 1998). Both cover and content are sure to draw children to Harward's title. Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.