How to Become a Pirate (continued)

Loot
Ages: 10 & Up
Gamewright, $9.99

The Plundering Pirate Card Game. Yo-Ho-Ho and a barrel of fun! Set sail for an exciting adventure of strategy and skullduggery in this captivating card game. Storm your opponents' merchant ships and seize valuable treasure. But watch your back, matey -- plundering pirates are out to capture your ships as well, the player with the most loot rules the high seas. Product Description

Piracy & Plunder: A Murderous Business
Ages: 10 & Up
Author: Milton Meltzer    Illustrator: Bruce Waldman
Penguin Putnam/Dutton Children's Books, $24.99 (Hardcover)

Edward Every is rumored to have offered to pay off Great Britain's national debt in exchange for a pardon -- he was a pirate and one of the richest men of the day. Piracy is one of the world's oldest professions, and Milton Meltzer traces its history without romanticizing it. Bruce Waldman's bold illustrations in somber colors, which are markedly different from the familiar Wyeth illustrations of Long John Silver and his cohorts, complement the text. Female pirates Ching Shih, Grace O'Malley, and Ann Bonny are discussed. The distinction between pirates and privateers, blurred though it might be in actuality, is described. Make no mistake, these were cruel people in a cruel business; Meltzer's mention of rape, torture, murder, slave trading, and other savageries might be too intense for some readers in the suggested age group. That caution aside, Meltzer provides the reader with a riveting look at a business that thrives to this day.

Pirates and Pretending
Ah, the theatrical gorgeousness of being a pirate! With an eye patch and swordplay. Flying the skull-and-crossbones. The lively lingo: “Avast!” and “keelhauling” and “walking the plank.” Parrots and treasure maps, doubloons and pieces of eight. The easy mention of–and wonderfully named--Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. Jerry Griswold explores a history of classic pirate tales.

Our Favorite Monsters
With the season of ghosts and gobblins and monsters and mischief upon us, we thought we would share a few of our favorite monsters with you. Traditional Halloween stories take a twist in many of the international tales that follow; while tried and true classics are as humorous and entertaining as always. And just in case our monster products leave you a little spooked, we've recommended our favorite flashlights for extra comfort at bedtime.