Pirates on the Farm

K-Gr 3—Drop five "swashbuckling pirates" into a small farming community and there's plenty of fodder for humor and life lessons alike. The neighbors have differing opinions on the situation; the narrator's mother is horrifed, her father is open-minded, her brother is thrilled, and she is coolly observant. The pirates' many ineptitudes are milked for full effect, including shearing sheep, harvesting corn, attending church, and hosting dinner parties (hardtack and fish heads). Their fate seems sealed when they destroy the Christmas pageant as they rescue the "baby in a feeding trough." The colorful cartoons fill in details and flesh out distinct personalities. When the mother smiles for the first time, close observers will know things are changing. A list of tongue-in-cheek definitions in pirate-ese and a "Letter to Parents" with Christian-centered discussion points conclude the book.—Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI