The Pirate's Son ANNOTATION
Left penniless in eighteenth century England, fourteen-year-old Nathan Gull and his mousy sister Maud accompany Tamo, the son of a notorious pirate, to his homeland of Madagascar where they are all changed by their encounter with Tamo's dangerous past.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Nathan, 14, dreams of fighting pirates in faraway lands. Then his father dies, leaving him penniless. When Tamo, the son of a famous pirate, invites Nathan to join him in Madagascar, it seems as if Nathan's daydreams are coming true.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
This exotic tale of two children who leave Georgian England to travel to Madagascar with the son of an infamous buccaneer is "a colorful, episodic pirate yarn," said PW. "McCaughrean's prose has the dramatic flair of an expert storyteller's." Ages 11-up. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo
It is 1717 England and Nathan and Maud Gull's lives are about to change forever. When their father, a country parson, dies penniless, 14-year old Nathan and his younger sister are orphaned. His classmate Tamo White, the son of a notorious pirate, convinces Nathan to come home with him to Madagascar. With nowhere else to turn, and his romantic notions of pirates, Nathan agrees. Tamo's guardian turns on the three children just as they arrive at the island, but they are able to escape. When another pirate ship arrives, they must defend themselves and the native people. Tamo and Nathan become pirates themselves, while Maud learns more about the culture in which they are living. Each of them matures as they come to grips with their beliefs and who they are. The beginning moves a bit slowly, like the voyage to Madagascar itself. Once on the island, however, the story becomes an action-packed swashbuckling adventure. This beautifully written novel is fertile ground for discussion. All young adults will enjoy.
The ALAN Review - Mary E. Outlaw
Set in England in the early 1700's, the story begins with Nathan, 14, being kicked out of the austere Graylake School because his father died without having paid the necessary school fees. As Nathan worries about how he will care for his younger sister Maud, one of his classmates comes to his rescue. Tamo, son of a pirate, takes Nathan and Maud to a ship captained by one of Tamo's guardians and they set sail for Madagascar, the place of Tamo's earliest years. Once there they quickly escape the heavy hand of the guardian and settle in a small village where they begin to learn the ways of the local people. He adventure heightens with the coming of the villainous pirate, King Sampson, the return of the guardian, and the appearance of Tamo's mother. McCaughrean's skillful writing captivates the reader in the first few lines and maintains the magnetic appeal throughout the book. The imagery used as the characters experience the clashing of cultures allows the reader to see the events and feel the frustration and fear that beset Nathan, Maud, and Tamo as they try to outwit the pirates. McCaughrean's award winning style is clearly evident in The Pirate's Son, a "must read" for students who like adventure.
VOYA - Melissa Thacker
When fourteen-year-old Nathan Gull hears the news of his father's death, he is unsure what he and his thirteen-year-old sister "Mousy" Maud should do. Expelled from boarding school because he is unable to pay his bills, Nathan accepts fellow classmate Tamo White's offer to accompany him to Madagascar. Tamo, son of the late pirate Captain Thomas White, is a native Malagasy and is eager to return home. The trio set sail aboard a ship owned by Tamo's guardian, Captain Sheller. Unbeknownst to Tamo, Captain Sheller is a pirate supplier who sells needed commodities to the pirates at Madagascar for exorbitant prices. When Tamo foils Sheller's plan to sell Maud to the pirates, Sheller becomes a fierce enemy. Once on the island, the young people are able to integrate into the Malagasy community-until a storm sends homeless pirates into their village, and Tamo and Nathan must pretend to be pirates in order to survive. Their ruse is discovered when Sheller returns to the island on another supply trip. Working together, Tamo and Maud rid themselves of Sheller and get needed quinine for Nathan. Finally, Maud proves to be more than the "mousy" girl Nathan assumes her to be when she leads the villagers in a daring plan to purge the island of the rest of the pirates. Young adults will enjoy this masterfully-written adventure set in the South Pacific of 1717, and will be especially drawn to Maud who proves herself to be strong, resourceful, and level-headed. All in all, this is a very enjoyable book. McCaughrean does a wonderful job of not only bringing the islands and characters to life, but also keeping the suspense going to the very end. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being better written, Broad general YA appeal, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-Sent to England in the early 1700s by his dying pirate father for a proper education, Tamo White decides to return a few years later to his Madagascar birthplace. He invites two new friends, Nathan and Maud Gull, who have just lost their own father, to join him onboard his guardian's ship. When they reach Madagascar, Captain Sheller turns out to be a villainous trader and tries to sell Maud to a band of cutthroats. The three barely escape and settle in a small village. When King Samson, a pirate, arrives to take over the community, accompanied by Tamo's Malagasy mother, now Samson's wife, the boys pose as buccaneers in a show of strength. The lifestyle appalls Nathan, but Tamo, feeling betrayed by his mother, seems to embrace the life his father led. A rousing climax involves the return of Captain Sheller and an exciting ship chase. Maud and Nathan seem to lack depth at first, but as events progress readers see more of the girl's hidden adventurous spirit and her brother's surprising courage. Tamo shifts personas several times, from school boy to Malagasy to pirate captain to doctor. Even though events spur these changes, they sometimes seem too extreme. The conclusion is satisfying and convincing. Descriptions of characters, customs, and settings stall the action initially, but the novel develops into a vivid picture of a time and place new to most youngsters. -Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
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