Dirty Rotten Pirates: A Revolting Guide to Pirates and Their World

Gr 4–6—Pirate fans will delight in this collection of legends and rogue adventures that will send readers off on a voyage of history, tidbits, and grisly lore. Each spread covers a different subject, with colorfully illustrated drawings, text boxes, and a plethora of fascinating, often gruesome, facts. For instance, "Yum…Worms Again!" explains how food was hard to preserve and would rot and crawl with maggots. Meanwhile, illustrations show a pirate menu with "pirate bone soup," and a text box explains that "in 1670, Sir Henry Morgan's crew was stranded and had to eat tree bark, leaves, and even their leather satchels." Topics include "Chop, Chop…" (an exploration of medical issues that pirates encountered), "Home, Horrible Home" (a description of the pirate ship), and "We're Behind You" (how pirates attacked their victims), among others. A strong addition.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI