PIRATE BLUNDERBEARD—WORST. PIRATE. EVER.

Blunderbeard is a boy pirate in a family of pirates. He’s more of an inventor than a reckless scoundrel of the seas and loves cupcakes. A Pirate of the Year competition is the worst possible place for him to show off his skills. His mom and older brother don’t give him much support.

The UK series has its U.S. release this month and readers transitioning to middle grade novels will find this to be a gentle bridge to cross. Humor, graphics, and some wild inventions will have them smiling (A Scuba-Hen™, The Snatch-A-Rat™, and the Scrub-O-Matic™ to name just a few of his wild contraptions). There’s also a chicken named Boris who comes aboard after an unhappy parrot left Blunderbeard’s crew. Turns out Boris is more than a chicken.

Amusing graphics appear on most pages, including drawings of many of the inventions. Lighthearted and fun to read, I’m sure we will be seeing the rest of the series released here in the coming years. It’s a welcome addition to an emerging MG reader’s library.

THE OFFICIAL PLOT (From AMAZON)

Can the worst pirate ever win the Pirate of the Year Award…?

Mum is making me take part in the stupid Pirate of the Year Award. All I have to do is fight an enormous sea monster, (doom), beat my oh-so-brilliant brother at something (please please please) and find the legendary treasure that no one has ever found EVER in the history of EVER (easy peasy, then). Wish me luck! Pirate Blunderbeard.

Blunderbeard might be the worst pirate ever but he’s also the funniest – laugh-out-loud fun for young readers of 7+

Author Amy Sparkes writes for children of all ages. Her picture books have been shortlisted for several book awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 and the Booktrust Best Books Awards 2014.

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