Captain Abdul's Pirate School - Softcover

Colin McNaughton

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744547024 ISBN 13: 9780744547023

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, 1996

Synopsis

A swashbuckling follow-up to the award-winning pirate romp "Jolly Roger". This is the story (in diary form) of reluctant pirate pupil, Pickles. At Captain Abdul's awful academy she is taught such essential pirate topics as how to make cannon balls and the correct way to say, "Ooh arrgh!" Discovering a plot to kidnap the pupils and hold them to ransom, she leads a mutiny. Following this, she and her fellow pupils set sail in the "Golden Behind" and have a great life robbing other pirates. Pickles (revealed on the last page to be a girl called Maisy) is happy because she has plenty of time to paint!

About this title

About the Author

Colin McNaughton is an award-winning author, illustrator and renowned poet. His titles for Walker Books include "Have You Seen Who's Just Moved in Next Door to Us?" (Winner of the Kurt Maschler Award), "Jolly Roger" (Winner of a British Book Award) and many poetry collections. Colin is married with two sons and lives in London.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?Maisie Pickles's parents hustle her off to Captain Abdul's Pirate School to toughen her up because she likes writing poems and painting pictures. She learns her lessons so well that when she overhears a plot to kidnap the students and hold them for ransom, she deftly organizes a mutiny. After subduing the teaching staff, the youngsters set sail for the West Indies and live a boisterously adventurous life, stealing from pirates and sending the treasure home. Captain Abdul reckons his school a success to have graduated such a crew, and Maisie herself is free to pursue her artistic interests. McNaughton's bold cartoons are well suited to the subject. His pirates convey just the right robust exaggeration; bold lines express exuberant movement and attitude. The text, written in the form of Maisie's diary, gives the impression of hand lettering on parchment and is spiced with lusty dialogue. The book is rife with broad humor. The student body, while multiethnic, is definitely not P.C. While the characters' stereotypical identities play no real part in the story, librarians should be alerted to the fact that there are visual and verbal jokes and plays on words at the expense of everyone. Chop is a "person of size," Ching Yih has slanted eyes and large white teeth, and Rosemary Lavender is crudely masculine.?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0744547024
• ISBN 13: 9780744547023
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32