Steel

Gr 7—10—Jill has just lost a big fencing tournament, and now she's stuck on a Caribbean vacation with her parents, nursing her wounded ego. Walking along the beach, she picks up a broken, rusty rapier tip. The next day, she takes a boat trip with her family, falls into the ocean, and finds herself pulled out of the water and onto a pirate ship. Jill has a hard time accepting the fact that she's traveled 300 years into the past, but she eventually gets her sea legs and finds that her fencing skills come in handy in pirate life. But will she be able to save herself when it really counts? Details of shipboard life are well integrated into the narrative, with an emphasis on the endless hard work and real-life dangers of a pirate's existence. The Diana is captained by Marjory Cooper, a strong female character who wins Jill over with her courage and fairness. Magical elements, and the actions of an evil rival pirate captain determined to get his hands on the sword tip, enhance the time-travel premise, give the plot cohesion, and add suspense. Readers willing to suspend their disbelief will enjoy this swashbuckling adventure on the high seas.—Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA