Voyage of Plunder (Chronicles of Courage (Knopf Library)) [Library Binding]

Michele Torrey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Chronicles of Courage (Knopf Library)

Daniel Markham loved his father’s mysterious friends, visiting in the dead of night but always gone by morning. He never imagined they could be pirates. But when the Markhams’ merchant vessel is plundered by the pirate ship Tempest Galley and his father shot dead in an act of revenge, Daniel can’t deny the truth. And now, orphaned and alone, Daniel is trapped and faced with a choice: Join the crew or die.

Unprepared for the temptations of pirate life and for the captain’s inexplicable kindness toward him, Daniel knows only one thing for certain: One false step on a pirate ship could be deadly, and he’ll do anything to stay alive.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–The opening sentence, There are few men in this world who can say they have seen their father die twice, sets the mood for this fast-paced sea adventure. Life for 14-year-old Daniel Markham changed the minute his father remarried. Mysterious friends no longer visit the house, especially Josiah Black. When his stepmother becomes pregnant, his father decides to move the family from Boston to Jamaica. On the voyage, pirates raid their merchant ship, and Daniel's father is killed by Josiah Black, leader of the murderous group. Forced into a life of piracy, the teen must battle with his principles while fighting to stay alive and avoid the temptations of a pirate's life. The startling discovery that Josiah is his biological father convinces him to escape but he makes a wrong decision that leads to his arrest. On trial for piracy, murder, and robbery, Daniel is sentenced to hang. He is saved by the pirate, who gives his life for his son. Throughout the story, Daniel develops a greater understanding of himself and his relationship with Josiah. The high-quality writing style, the strong cast of characters, and the twisting conclusion are sure to captivate readers.–Christine McGinty, Newark Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-10. In the late seventeenth century, young Bostonian Daniel Markham is surprised and upset to learn that his father, a prosperous merchant, has decided to move to Jamaica, taking Daniel's new stepmother and Daniel with him. On the voyage, their ship is attacked by pirates, who are led by the notorious Josiah Black. The pirates release Daniel's stepmother, but they execute his father and kidnap Daniel. During his long time at sea with the pirates, Daniel learns of surprising connections between his family and Josiah Black, and he realizes that his father's murder was entirely planned. A wealth of nautical details, rich descriptions, and often violent nearly nonstop action combine in a sea yarn that can stand solidly beside other classic pirate stories as well as stories listed in the Booklist Read-alikes column "Ship Ahoy," September 1, 2004. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 208 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (July 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375923837
• ISBN-13: 978-0375923838
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 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: #5,561,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michele Torrey first became a published author at age ten, when her story about a dinosaur egg popping out of the kitchen sink appeared in the Seaview Heights Elementary newspaper. Her fifth grade class, located in Edmonds, Washington, wrote, edited, and published the newspaper.

While Torrey has lived most of her life in Washington, she has traveled throughout the world. As a child, she lived overseas in England and France, and spent most of her junior high and high school years in Heidelberg, Germany. At the age of four, she lived in Cockfield, England, where she first attended grammar school. She remembers the handbell calling the children in from recess, the morning's recitation of the Lord's Prayer, hot custard for lunch, and the bratty girl Rosemary who stuck out her tongue at Michele and got a spanking for it. When Torrey temporarily moved back to the United States and her classmates asked how English people spoke, she promptly responded in all seriousness and with a thick country accent, "Cheerio, ol' chap!" All in all, Torrey spent ten years of her childhood overseas. She returned to the Seattle area in her senior year, after which she completed a degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Washington.

For the past sixteen years, Torrey has explored the depths of her imagination while writing novels for adults, young adults, and middle-grade. Her books include the CHRONICLES OF COURAGE seafaring series for middle-grade (Knopf), and the DOYLE AND FOSSEY: SCIENCE DETECTIVES chapter book series (Sterling). She is a two-time Thurber House Residency in Children's Literature nominee, plus a two-time winner of PNWA's Zola Award. Among other honors, her books have been chosen by the Junior Library Guild, named by VOYA as "Top Shelf Fiction for Middle-Grade Readers", and nominated for the Sakura Medal. Most recently, her book VOYAGE OF PLUNDER was a WA State Book Award finalist. Torrey is a regular presenter at writers' conferences and schools. She lives in South Bend, Washington, with her husband. They have three grown sons, two granddaughters, and a calico cat.

In addition to her writing and traveling, Torrey is a director and co-founder of Orphans Africa, a 501 c 3 nonprofit charity (www.orphansafrica.org). Orphans Africa works primarily in Tanzania, building boarding schools for children orphaned by AIDS.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A New "Pirate Yarn", April 8, 2006

By 

MooShoo Pork (Nowhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voyage of Plunder (Chronicles of Courage (Knopf Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

As a vivid reader who takes whatever she can get, ,pirate stories have long been a point of interest. But it gets a little old to hear about the daring exploits of the brave and dashing swashbucklers of the high seas. That is why I like this book more than most of the other pirate stories I've read.

"Voyage of Plunder" is about Daniel and how his adventures on the pirate ship. The character is pretty refreshing, beacuse he doesn't want to be on a pirate ship; all he wants is to return to his home, turn in the pirates, and resume life as a god-fearing man. This character reminded me of Felix from "Piratica," but he had more soul.

The writing isn't actually that great, and the pirates can get pretty - well - typical. However, it is nice that the author pops in a note at the end about how most of the stories of dashing pirates are poppycock. It is also clear that she tries to show this in her book, but it sidn't very effective. Also, what should have been the greatest mystery in the book (how his dad died twice) is actually pretty simple to solve. I figured it out on page five.

Faults aside, this is a very endearing book. Something in it really struck a chord with me and I read it a couple times, even though a few of the parts were too - this is difficult to pinpoint - intense? sad? touching? This is a good book that I recomend to anyone who likes pirate stories and/or historical fiction. Or any kind of fiction. Very good story.