PIRATES

Books | Web Sites

Books

For Teachers

The History of Pirates by Angus Konstam. (Lyons Press, 2002)
A thorough portrait of the world of pirates, with maps, photographs, and illustrations.

The Pirate Wars by Peter Earle. (Thomas Dunne Books, 2005)
A critical look at 250 years of piracy, from Cornwall to the Caribbean, and the realities of the pirate life.

Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life among the Pirates by David Cordingly. (Harvest Books, 1997)
An authoritative guide to pirates—their lives, legends, and enduring appeal.

For Students

Fiction

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen. (Voyager Books, 2000)
The story of Anne Bonney and Mary Reade — two 18th century women who became pirates — told as a rollicking ballad.

The Barefoot Book of Pirates by Richard Walker. (Barefoot Books, 2002)
This anthology of tales contains stories about pirates from around the world.

The Man with the Silver Oar by Robin Moore. (HarperCollins, 2002)
In 1712, Daniel, a young Quaker from Philadelphia, stows away on his uncle's ship — bound for the high seas in search of pirates.

The Not-So-Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka. (Puffin, 1991)
It's the Time Warp Trio to the rescue! Only now they're rescuing themselves from Blackbeard, the meanest, ugliest pirate ever.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry. (Disney Editions, 2004)
Inspired by J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, the story features an orphan named Peter, a ship called The Never Land, the evil King Zarboff, and a feisty girl named Molly. For older readers.

Pirate Diary Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt. (Candlewick Press, 2003)
Set in 1716, this is the story of 9-year-old Jake's adventures at sea, when pirates capture the ship he and his uncle are traveling on. The oversized format and illustrations add to the appeal.

Pirate's Promise by Clyde Robert Bulla. (HarperTrophy, 1994)
Tom has been sold into slavery and sent to America. When pirates capture the boat he is traveling on, he is surprised to learn the truth about the pirate life.

Piratica: Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas by Tanith Lee. (Dutton, 2004)
The daughter of a pirate queen — or so she thinks — escapes from her stuffy school to commandeer a leaky boat and a curiously seasick crew.

Roger the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist. (HarperCollins, 2004)
An amusing tale of the supposed origin of the skull-and-crossbones pirate flag, told in picture-book format.

The Thirteenth Floor by Sid Fleischman. (Yearling, 1997)
A comic adventure in which young Buddy and his lawyer sister ride a magical elevator that takes them 300 years into the past, where they must find the hidden treasure aboard a pirate ship. More books by the same author:

The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Sid Fleischman

Pirates Galore by Sid Fleischman.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. (Signet, 1998)
When young Jim Hawkins becomes the owner of a map leading to a tropical island and a fortune in stolen gold, he must deal with the ruthless pirate known as Long John Silver.

Nonfiction

100 Things You Should Know about Pirates by Andrew Langley. (Mason Crest, 2003)
A humorous look at pirates, with facts, trivia, and more.

Life Among the Pirates by Stuart Kallen. (Lucent Books, 1999)
The "Way People Live" series. This history features period drawings and illustrations. Another book from the "Way People Live" series:

Pirates by Stephen Currie (Lucent Books, 2001), which includes primary sources.

Piracy & Plunder by Milton Meltzer. (Dutton, 2001)
The true story about pirates, then and now.

Pirates by Gary L. Blackwood. (Benchmark Books, 2002)
A look at notable pirates and their activities over four centuries.

Pirates by Richard Platt. (Knopf, 1994)
"Eyewitness" book series. Presents facts and artifacts about pirates, from ancient Greece to the 19th century.

The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue of the High Seas by Margarette Lincoln. (Puffin, 1998)
Information, arts and crafts, and illustrations present a detailed look at pirate life.

What if You Met a Pirate? by Jan Adkins. (Roaring Brook Press, 2004)
Maps and illustrations help reveal the facts behind the fiction about pirates.

Web Sites

History Detectives: Texas City, Texas
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/case/texas.html
Jean Lafitte was a fearsome pirate, a privateer, and a war hero. A spyglass, said to be handed down from Lafitte to his ship's captain, is donated to a Texas library. Is the claim true or false?

Isle of Tortuga
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/
This site contains many links to articles about pirates and piracy.

National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/
This site offers facts and fiction about pirates.

Silver Bank
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/silverbank/
This National Geographic site offers a virtual tour of an ill-fated Spanish galleon that sank on the shoals of Silver Bank, near the Dominican Republic.

Pirates and Privateers
http://www.cindyvallar.com/piratelinks.html
A wealth of information about pirates, including a virtual tour of the ship used in the movie Master and Commander, and information about weapons, medicine, nautical words, and more.

Pirates of Colonial Times
http://www.homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/pirates.htm
This site offers lessons and information for children, as well as links to pirate sites for kids. (Particularly good for kids.)

Queen Anne's Revenge
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/qar/
Learn about salvage, preservation, and historical interpretation efforts for an early 18th-century shipwreck believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's flagship, discovered at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in 1996.