Customer Reviews

See-Through Pirates

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This book is attractive and engaging, at first glance. When I was a child, I loved the see-through portions of encyclopedias. The book looked like fun for a ten-year-old who loves pirates. The book is full of interesting facts about pirates. However, I do not feel it is appropriate for children because of the many disturbing facts and images about torture and hanging, etc. I am a firm believer in protecting the minds of young children. I purchased the book today, based on a first impression, for my ten-year -old nephew. However, I was horrified when I got the book home and took time to look at every page. There are pictures of a dead pirate hanging from the gallows, a skeleton cage, keel-hauling, flogging, and more. I will be returning the book. It most certainly is not suitable for four to eight year olds, as your reviewer suggests.

I agree with the other reviewer. My first grader checked this out of the school library, and when we got to the page about pirate punishments, I was absolutely appalled. The pictures and text are extremely graphic, describing in detail how pirates were stuffed into sugar barrels ("with only cockroaches and rats for company"), flogged, and keel hauled ("The victim often died immediately from drowning, or later from infected wounds.") It even describes the step-by-step process used to torture and punish pirates! We have read many pirate books, but this is the only one that I felt was inappropriate for children. Just disgusting.