Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck
Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Skaffa
uclan publishing

ARRR! me ’earties! It’s time to fast forward to the year 2507 and step aboard for a cracking pirate adventure.

Classmates Jasmine and Jacoby are privileged to be studying at the Pirate Academy under the tutelage of legendary pirates. Like their fellow students – fifteen are chosen each year – Jasmine and Jacoby are from famous pirate families and are in Barracuda class. All is not well though: unexpectedly Jacoby receives an unfavourable assessment; this the lad graciously accepts promising to do better in future. Then Jasmine is summoned to Captain Salt’s office where she’s hoping to hear about what has caused the non-return of her parents and their ship. Tensions rise even further when Captain Raven Moon dramatically removes her son, Wing, from the Academy, ominously telling Jacoby, “These are dangerous times to be a pirate … be careful my precious boy.”.

Shortly after, another boy, Neo Splice, mysteriously arrives at the school. He tends to keep himself to himself, which arouses the suspicions of others and Jasmine has a feeling she’s seen the lad before somewhere. Is he trustworthy or an enemy? There are certainly enemies at work outside the Academy but could there be a traitor within threatening their safe world too? There’s definitely a surprise in store for Jacoby. It’s crucial that Jasmine and Jacoby set aside any differences and work together using all the skills they’ve learned.
This action-filled page-turner ends on a cliffhanger leaving readers eager for the second adventure;

Missing At Sea

Book 2 starts four weeks later with Barracuda class about to face the first challenging test of their abilities, the Oceans Bound.weekend. The pirate apprentices are divided into five teams, each with a leader, one of whom Jacoby hopes will be himself and when this isn’t so he’s devastated. Jasmine though is selected and this makes their relationship somewhat tricky but eventually she, Neo and Jacoby form a team.

A much greater difficulty emerges when she learns that her Uncle Noah – a ringleader of the League of True Pirates – has somehow managed to escape from Pirate Federation’s maximum security prison. Nonetheless she refuses to let this put her off participating in the event and her crew sets sail along with the other four. Before so doing each leader is given a coloured glass bottle continuing a note on which is written the first of a series of tasks.

Soon members of one team (you can probably work out which) find themselves facing unexpected dangers in the form of highly venomous vipers and spiders with a poisonous bite,

as well as a skull. Eventually another crew’s members become concerned that a rescue might be required; they just need to persuade the remaining Barracudas to join them in operation rescue mission.
Even so, it will take all they’ve got for the tenacious young pirates to complete the course and triumph against their heinous enemy.

With some shocking plot twists, the story like the first one, ends on a cliff hanger that will ensure readers are left thirsting for book three.