Torrie and the Pirate Queen (The Torrie Quests) [Paperback]

K.V. Johansen (Author), Christine Delezenne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2005 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: The Torrie Quests

Retired pirates embark on a magical adventure.

Are you ready for a rollicking, humorous adventure story packed with action and high-seas mayhem? Meet the irrepressible Torrie, a magical being known as an Old Thing who has lived in the Wild Forest for hundreds of years.

One day, while surveying the docks of a fishing village, Torrie witnesses a scuffle aboard a pirate ship. He intervenes and convinces the newly minted captain to take him aboard. The captain, a young girl named Anna, is anxious to set sail to rescue her father, held for some months by the Pirate Queen, Nevilla.

But Anna is not a pirate, nor is her father. Before his death, Anna's pirate grandfather told Anna, and no one else, where a valuable treasure was hidden. Anna plans to use the treasure to negotiate her father's release. With the help of Torrie, Anna and her aged crew of retired pirates embark on a wild and colorful sea journey.

On their way to search for the treasure, the crew pulls aboard a young castaway. He turns out to be Nevilla's son, Prince Frederick. He explains the hard times that have visited the now barren and infertile Granite Isles, where he lives. It turns out Anna's grandfather's treasure may unlock the curse that has beset the Isles for years.

Torrie and the Pirate Queen is a captivating story that combines action with irreverent humor -- an irresistible style sure to hook young readers.

(2006)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Johansen has brought the characters to life and captivates readers by taking them on a journey they will never forget. (Georgie Perigny Canadian Materials )

Starred Selection 2006 (Canadian Children's Book Centre )

Starred Selection (Canadian Children's Book Centre )

About the Author

K.V. Johansen's five previous books include an earlier novel and, for younger readers, the successful Pippin and Mabel series of picture books.

Christine Delezenne is the illustrator of a popular series of French-language junior novels.

(2006)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Annick Press (February 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550379003
• ISBN-13: 978-1550379006
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,266,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

K.V. Johansen was born in Kingston, Ontario, and is the author of numerous works for children, teens, and adults. She predominantly writes secondary-world fantasy, but is also the author of some science fiction and literary criticism, and of a collection retelling medieval Danish ballads. With an artist friend, she is also working on a manga-style adaptation of a short story set in the Blackdog world. Johansen has an M.A. from the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto. Her lifelong interest in ancient and medieval history and the history of languages has had a great influence on her writing and world-building. Johansen was the editor of Stalin Versus Me, the final, posthumously-published volume of Donald Jack's "Bandy Papers" series. She is hard at work on more Torrie books and on further works set in the world of Blackdog, a secondary world fantasy for adults coming out in September 2011.

She has a house full of exotic trees, most of which have gotten too big to pretend to be bonsai any more. Her websites can be found at www.pippin.ca & www.kvj.ca .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Teacher Review ... fun to read, but ...., July 18, 2006

By 

Reading Teacher "MBG" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Torrie and the Pirate Queen (The Torrie Quests) (Paperback)

lacked the excitment and adventure that I was hoping for. Being a teacher of fourth grade, I was excited to find a book about a young FEMALE Pirate Captain. I read it hoping to read it aloud to my class. There were abundant opportunities for adventure and excitement that just weren't brought to fruition. It was an easy read (even for 9-12 year olds), entertaining, and funny at times, but not a book I'd read aloud. I will do a Book Talk on it to my class and hope that students will chose to read it independently. The young captian is brave and decisive ... and as I said ... a girl! (It is very difficult to find a book with a strong female character.) I'll keep looking for that fiction pirate book to read-aloud ... and if it has a female lead -- all the better.