Mod 11: What If You Met a Pirate? by Jan Adkins

Summary:

Jan Adkin's What If You Met a Pirate is an informational book about what pirates were and are really like. Each two page spread of the book begins by asking a question like “What did a pirate ship look like?” There is then a paragraph where they not only discuss facts about the topic presented, but also points out any movie pirate tropes that appear about the topic and explains why these are simply not true. The book covers a wide range of pirate facts, from what real pirates looked (and smelled) like to their ships, how they plundered, what they did with their booty, and where pirates are now. Each two page spread is accompanied by several colorful illustrations to further the points and show the reader what the text is talking about as well as several bullet point facts accompanying each image.

Adkins, J. (2004). What if you met a pirate? Bookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press.

My Impressions:

I feel this was a very fun read, and would be very appealing to younger boys in elementary school. I know when I was a younger boy I would have loved this book for sure, especially if the pirates of the Caribbean movies had been out. I also very much enjoyed that they author took the time to explain the false movie stereotypes as well.

Reviews:

Laurie Edwards
PreS-Gr 4--Adkins begins with a stereotypical picture and description of a pirate, then proceeds to debunk the myths that surround these mysterious figures. Contrary to popular belief, pirates did not command large ships with guns and cannons, but preferred smaller, more nimble vessels so they could take victims by surprise and make a quick escape. Real pirates were as skillful with a needle as they were with a cutlass; most sewed their own clothes and mended sails. Packed with interesting but little-known facts, the text illuminates life on the high seas and answers many questions children may have: Did pirates force captives to walk the plank (no) or bury treasure (rarely)? Do pirates still operate today? Each of these questions and more are answered in spreads that include full-color spot illustrations, diagrams, and cross-sections. Adkins's detailed renderings will be as familiar to fans of his other nonfiction books as his tongue-in-cheek humor, both of which appeal to a broad range of ages. A fun and informative read.

Edwards, L. (2004). [A Review of the book What if you met a pirate? By J. Adkins]. School Library Journal, 50(12), 125. Retrived from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:9443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=518465322&scope=site

Usage in a Library Setting:

This book could be used as part of a program for younger children where we learn a little about real pirates using the book then either make up stories about ourselves as pirates or draw images of what we might have looked like as a pirate. We could also create drawings of our ships as well, and come up with a pirate allias.