Pirate Treasure: Stolen Riches

Children's Literature - Leslie Rounds

This book, part of the "Real World of Pirates" series, presents information about the types of treasure pirates stole, what they did with the treasure, pirate tricks, and how "honest" people collaborated with pirates. It begins with a discussion of Daniel McGinnis and some friends landing on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, in 1795. McGinnis and his friends "knew something was buried" in a circle of sunken earth under a tree and began to dig, "starting one of the longest treasure hunts in history." Unfortunately, no further information is presented about this treasure hunt. Why did McGinnis and his friends think there was treasure on Oak Island, and why did the apparently unsuccessful treasure hunt continue? Bright hued illustrations, many of them details from historic paintings in museum collections, are sometimes overlaid with the text, adding to the colorful presentation of a colorful topic. Although this creates lots of eye appeal, the paintings are only credited in fine print on the copyright page, leaving most readers unaware of the interesting source of the illustrations. The text, displayed on white against dark red splashed and striped backgrounds, is relatively brief, usually just three short paragraphs per double-page spread, making it more accessible to younger readers and listeners. The text is of high interest and will also be appealing to reluctant older readers. A simple cross section diagram of a pirate ship is included. This book includes a brief list of other books for additional reading, a glossary, a comprehensive index, and access to grade-appropriate Internet sites through the publisher's web page. Though not an essential purchase, this book would be a good addition tocollections serving elementary school students, given the increased demand created by recent pirate movies.