Tag Justin Somper

Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes

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Pirate Academy: Sword Echoes
Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Skaffa
uclan publishing

The third book in this terrific Pirate Academy series is the most breath-taking and action-packed so far. The three young buccaneering students find out more about one another and equally important, about themselves.

As the story opens Neo is sailing with Captain December Wilde and Pickle, her pet boar, following a trail of clues left for him by his legend mother, Captain Doll Darkwater. Neo’s formed a bond with Pickle but misses his Academy friends, Jasmine and Jacoby most of all, even more so as he has no idea when he will next see them.

Meanwhile, Jasmine and Jacoby are horrified to discover something unexpected about their much-loved teacher, Captain Victor Molina; he has defected to LOT P (the League of True Pirates). Whilst endeavouring to make sense of the betrayal, Jacoby discovers some evidence that one of his classmates could be the next target for LOT P : now Ocean (Jasmine’s best friend) falls under suspicion.

Then just as Jasmine, Ocean and Jacoby are preparing to head out to sea on a maverick mission, for Jasmine to reunite with her father, they’re stopped in their tracks by Captain Mayday Salt. Ocean is told she must stay at the Academy and that Mayday will join the voyage along with Cheng-Li, a voyage that takes them into extremely dangerous waters.

And there I’ll leave them and merely say that there’s intrigue aplenty and that Neo’s journey sees him receiving an awesome gift – a sword with as yet undisclosed powers which, in the right hands could change everything.

With a new journey awaiting, I can’t wait to see what unfolds in book four.

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck / Missing At Sea

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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.

Glassheart / Brand New Boy / Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean

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Glassheart
Katharine Orton
Walker Books

Prepare to be both chilled and enchanted, bothered and bewitched as you read this, the second of Katherine Orton’s stories. It tells of Nona who has lost all her family in the war (WW2) and of her adopted Uncle Antoni. This though isn’t a tale of war itself, but of its aftermath, as together they travel through the wilds of Dartmoor, each caring and protecting the other as a magical adventure unfolds. With echoes of folktale and legend, the landscape that the author crafts is wild, unpredictable – sometimes sinisterly nightmarish.

Her tale is one of power, fragility and also strength as the two walk side by side, stopping to replace stained glass windows, Nona with a small piece of magical glass in the form of half a heart reminding her of what once was, Uncle Antoni with his skill and artistry in stained glass.

With the girl as his apprentice, they undertake a mysterious commission that sees Nona face to face with her nemesis. But though fragile, Nona has an inner strength, loyalty and determination which drives her on in her endeavour to protect those she loves.

Truly evident is Katherine Orton’s understanding of suffering and the assuagement of grief.

Brand New Boy
David Almond, illustrated by Marta Altés
Walker Books

George joins an ordinary class in an ordinary school somewhere in northern England. Daniel is fascinated and watchful, especially when George’s ear falls off. It’s clear that this newcomer is far from ordinary. But then Daniel is actually not so ordinary either. He’s capable of doing extraordinary things: he’s caring, perceptive, questioning, open-minded and ready to accept somebody just a little bit different.

So, while he and his friend Maxie in particular go about their football and other activities at school, his mind is full of thoughts about the mysterious newcomer. But then just as suddenly as he came, two days later, George is there no more. Will he ever come back?

If ever there was a story to encourage children to think about what they are and to consider the true meaning of being human, and of freewill, then this is it.

Deceptively simple in its telling David Almond’s story has a quiet power while Martha Altés illustrations bring out the humour inherent in the tale.
Never underestimate children; all too frequently I see both teachers and parents so doing. They too should read this book.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean
Justin Somper
UCLAN Publishing

This is a reissue of a book (the first of a series) originally published some fifteen years back. It’s a swashbuckling tale of pirates and vampires set in the future in an attractive-sounding location – Crescent Moon Bay on the Australian coast.

We meet twins Grace and Connor, who are left entirely alone in the world when their lighthouse keeper father to whom so many owe their lives, suddenly dies. The children cast themselves off in his boat out to sea and all too soon are hit by a storm but they’re not to meet their demise in the ocean. Grace is rescued by Lorcan Furey, one of the vampire crew of a strange boat, Connor by friendly pirates.

The action then switches between the two as their stories unfold alternately with secrets emerging until at last, the two are reunited. With its lively cast of characters (depicted before the title page) this is an entertaining start to a sequence of further adventures for older primary readers and beyond.