5 Great Middle Grade Books About Adventure on the High Seas!

Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas, by Cary Fagan
Author Mordecai Richler’s beloved children’s series about the irrepressible Jacob Two-Two  is given new life in Jacob Two on the High Seas. As a child, I loved Jacob Two-Two, in fact my favorite book was Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. When Richler passed away in 2001, I thought that would be the end of this wonderful and fantastical series. Which is why I was so excited to find that Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas continues Jacob’s adventures as he travels with his family to Canada from England on the SS Spring-a-Leak.  True to the original books, Jacob can’t help but find trouble and soon discovers a devious plot involving pirates, along with a new friend named Cindy, and a pet mouse named Treasure. Young readers will be entranced by both the engaging storyline and the wonderfully rendered black and white drawings interspersed throughout the novel.

The Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore, by Sid Fleischman
The giant rat of Sumatra is a fictional rat first referenced by none other than detective Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire.” InFleischman’s The Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore, this mythical rodent is the name of an infamous ship that strikes fear in the heart of any who come across it. Except for Edmund of course, a 13 year old cabin boy who lives on this ship and is the plucky sidekick to the pirate Captain Gallows. Also known as “Shipwreck”, Edmund and the rest of the crew have just docked in San Diego. Captain Gallows plans on becoming a gentleman. Unfortunately, its seems like the universe has other plans for him and for Edmund…With lots of bandits, a quick moving and engaging plot, the threat of war looming, and an extremely likable protagonist, The Giant Rat of Sumatra, or Pirates Galore is sure to please.

The Left-Handed Fate, by Kate Milford
Kate Milford is the bestselling author of Greenglass House, one of my favorite fantasy adventures and a National Book Award nominee. With The Left-Handed Fate, Milford brings yet another immersive fantasy to life with the help of illustrator Eliza Wheeler. Strewn with warm monochromatic illustrations that help pull in readers, The Left-Handed Fate is set in both terrestrial Baltimore, Maryland and the mystical town of Nagspeake, and follows Lucy and Maxwell as they embark on a seafaring mission to find three pieces of a wondrous and a mysterious engine that may be the clue to stopping the war between England and France. Pursued by mysterious men with sinister powers, Lucy and Maxwell are challenged at every turn, especially when their ship Left-Handed Fate is taken over by Oliver Dexter, twelve-year old wunderkind and American naval officer. Will Oliver help Lucy and Maxwell find the magical engine, or will they be fail? Young readers will have to grab a copy of The Left-Handed Fate to find out.

Deadweather and Sunrise (The Chronicles of Egg Series #1), by Geoff Rodkey
Deadweather and Sunrise is the first in author Geoff Rodkey’s Chronicles of Egg trilogy and introduces readers to poor Egbert (Egg) who has grown up on Deadweather island with siblings who hate him and a rather troubling pirate infestation. Things take a turn from not great to really bad when Egg’s entire family just up and vanishes in weird ballooning accident. Egg is then taken in by a wealthy merchant named Pembroke…who then tries to kill him too. Egg’s self-deprecating humor and insightful observations are the heart and soul of Deadweather and Sunrise, helping to ground the novel as Egg takes off on one swashbuckling adventure after another in search of the reason people are trying to kill him.  Throw in a hidden treasure and some truly legendary maritime battles and you have a recipe for a perfect seafaring adventure novel that young readers will love.

Magic Marks the Spot (The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates Series #1), by Caroline Carlson
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined girl power, pirates, and a magical gargoyle? Well, wonder no more: author Carolina Carlson’s Magic Marks the Spot gives readers the action-packed tale of Hilary Westfield, a young girl whose dream of being a pirate is stopped in its tracks when the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates withdraws her acceptance after they find out she is a girl. Hilary is crushed; she’s always wanted to be a pirate. And things only get worse when her parents ship her off to a finishing school. But Hilary doesn’t give up easily and with the help of new friends (and a magical gargoyle) she joins the crew of the freelance pirate Jasper “Terror of the Southlands” Fletcher. Now all Hilary has to do is find the most famous hidden treasure of all time and her acceptance into Jasper’s crew will be complete. I highly recommend Magic Marks the Spot, a book that manages the rare trick of being both emotionally touching and hilariously irreverent. I found myself rooting for Hilary from the very beginning and when I wasn’t cheering for her, I was laughing out loud.