Aye, though the official Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19) may be months away, seadogs need not wait for the balmy days to enjoy swashbuckling tales of high seas (and interstellar) adventures. Lynne Jonell’s The Sign of the Cat mixes fairy tale, fantasy, and one smart stowaway kitten. Lads and lassies who enjoy talking animals, goofy plotlines, and a dash of potty humor will want to check out Will Mabbitt’s The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones. For readers who like their pirate stories with a good helping of science fiction, Huw Powell’s Spacejackers and Joel Ross’s The Fog Diver offer airships, warp speed, and zero gravity treasure-seekers.

Jonell, Lynne. The Sign of the Cat. 352p. Holt/Christy Ottaviano Bks. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780805096835.

Gr 4-6 –Duncan has secrets—the ones his mother makes him keep include purposefully getting answers wrong on tests to keep his grades down and never taking his cap off in public. Then there’s the one he guards even from his mother—Duncan knows how to speak cat. On the day he goes against his mother’s wishes and gets a perfect score on the national exams and doffs his hat to a national hero, Duncan finds himself kidnapped and sailing to the edge of his island kingdom. With the help of a stowaway kitten, Duncan discovers that national heroes can be traitors and his mother’s secrets were protecting his true identity. Now it’s up to Duncan to save a presumed-dead princess and their kingdom. Astute readers will figure things out before Duncan does but will read on to discover how he survives against dastardly villains. Duncan’s ability to talk to cats helps him gain vital information but also provides humorous insight into the inner lives of felines—kittens need to take examinations to get their explorer’s license and cats have a numbered list of tricks, including Cat Trick #8: Bringing Disgusting Gifts. VERDICT With a classic fairy tale–esque feel, this high seas adventure of discovery and betrayal is a good bet for advanced readers who are ready for longer, more challenging books, but not more mature content.–Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA

Mabbitt, Will. The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones. illus. by Ross Collins. 304p. (Mabel Jones: Bk. 1). Viking. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780451471963. LC 2014030543.

Gr 3-6 –If you should ever decide to pick your nose, do not, under any circumstances, put what you find in there in your mouth. For if you perform this sacred deed, you might find yourself kidnapped from the safe Hooman world (by a surprisingly silent loris) and suddenly out to sea on a pirate ship filled with fearsome pirate animals such as goats, orangutans (formally a hair salon owner), pigs, and a foul-breathed wolf captain. If you did, you would be much like our brave hero Mabel Jones, who finds herself standing aboard the Feroshus Maggot as Captain Idyss Ebenezer Split prepares to have her walk the Greasy Pole of Certain Death. Mabel, clad only in her pajamas, saves herself from the torrent of the ocean by reading. Desperate to figure out the names of the pirates who stole pieces of a magical X from his father, Split has been waiting from someone to read them. The X will mark the spot of a magical treasure and, according to the pirates, open a portal back to the Hooman world so that Mabel might return home. So her ridiculous, dangerous, and vile adventures begin as she and her new cohorts track down the pieces. The heroine finds herself challenging a merciless bear to a milk drinking contest, breaking pirates out of prison, outwitting a vain duke, and breaking into a crypt in search of a deceased sheep. The ever-present narrator is obviously a pirate (and a very opinionated one at that) and adds a proper amount of exaggeration and attempted suspense to the tale telling. This style is entertaining, though better accomplished in Caroline Carlson’s “The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates” series (HarperCollins). Black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout. VERDICT A zany and twisted pirate tale that could be a good addition to collections for readers transitioning into longer chapter books.–Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Powell, Huw. Spacejackers. 320p. Bloomsbury. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781619635159.

Gr 4-7 –Annie meets Star Wars in this swashbuckling if far-fetched science fiction pirate romp. Meet Jake Cutler, mischievous orphan ward of the cyber monks of the (remote) planet Remota. His only possession is the crystal pendant his parents gave him as a baby. Now 13 years old, Jake has attracted the notice of the authoritarian Interstellar Navy and must flee Remota with his treasure-seeking friends Callidus and Capio. They book passage on a space pirate ship captained by Granny Leatherhead and her motley band of profiteers. Searching for the secret location of Jake’s home planet Altus, Jake makes two friends, Kella and Nanoo, whose gifts may help him evade pursuit and uncover his origins. One cannot fault the enthusiasm with which Powell retreads familiar science fiction territory. From the orphan with the mysterious past to the hardened treasure-seeker who discovers his conscience to the evil government entity determined to keep the galaxy downtrodden, there is not much new material here. Still, Jake’s conversations with various space characters are worth a few smiles, and his epic curiosity leads him into nonstop adventures. Some plot points hinge on coincidence—Jake discovers most of his family secrets in rapid succession, and the author editorializes about his characters to the story’s detriment. Still, minimal character development will not matter to most kids, and readers may use these familiar story elements as a framework for comprehension. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger collections that need more middle grade science fiction and adventure titles.–Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Ross, Joel. The Fog Diver. 336p. Harper Collins/Harper. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780062352934; ebk. $16.99. ISBN 9780062352965.

Gr 4-6 –It’s been years since the formation of the deadly Fog that drove the last people from the surface of the Earth. The only remaining humans live in towns high in the mountaintops. With few resources, it’s a hard life. For a slum kid like Chess, working on a salvage airship is the best way to keep from starving. As his ship’s tetherboy, Chess must dive into the Fog and recover relics from Earth that can be traded for food for his crew. Most tether boys don’t last a year. Those who avoid the Fog sharks eventually succumb to Fog sickness in the end. All except Chess. For Chess, the Fog never hurts. Chess’s deepest secret is that he was born in the Fog, and it has marked him. His whole life, Chess has kept his head down and avoided notice. Now things are changing. Mrs. E., Chess’s guardian, is dying of Fog sickness, and Chess and his friends must race against the clock to get her to the cure. Unfortunately, the greedy Lord Kodoc has found out about Chess’s affinity for Fog and has made other plans. With plenty of action, and characters who are as precocious as they are prodigious at their airship duties, this is a fun beginning to a unique new series. An abundance of pop culture references gone hilariously wrong add appeal for reluctant readers. Oh, and there are air pirates! VERDICT A solid choice for fans of adventure series or speculative fiction.–Liz Overberg, Darlington School, Rome, GA