Sea of gold

Seafaring shenanigans await in this rollicking historical adventure by Mone (the Atlantis duology). When his struggling Irish farm family falls into dire financial straits, 11-year-old Fish, nicknamed so for his love of swimming, is sent to work for his merchant uncle. A botched delivery unexpectedly plunges Fish into a life of piracy aboard the Scurvy Mistress, where he must contend with an abusive bully named Scab and adjust to a eating gruel and hardtack, and enduring serious smells. Fish soon bands together with other kids on the ship, including Nora, the cook who longs for better ingredients than the ship can offer; Nate, who dreams of becoming a notorious pirate captain; and Daniel, a booklover whose land sickness prevents him from leaving the vessel. Together, the four tweens are swept away on a hunt for long-lost treasure, with mutiny and surprise enemies following closely behind. Rhythmic prose ("As the boarders brandished their blades and pistols, dozens of... men burst out from closed doors and hatches, firing guns and swinging steel"), humorous banter, and brutal depictions of pirate life abound in this traditional high seas romp. Painstakingly detailed b&w illustrations by Pekmezci feature throughout and include a map of the Scurvy Mistress. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alex Gehringer, Bright Agency. (Aug.)

An impoverished Irish farm boy finds himself among pirates on the hunt for a fabled treasure. Revising the text of his 2010 Fish and, to a lesser extent, the cast, if not the storyline's general drift, Mone plunks 12-year-old Maurice Reidy aboard the Scurvy Mistress. Dubbed Fish for his love of swimming, the boy, while literally learning the ropes and enduring rough treatment from brutal first mate Scab, helps treasure-hunting Capt. Walter Cobb solve a puzzle that leads to a golden chain big enough to encircle a city. Readers familiar with Treasure Island will feel a distinct sense of déjà vu as, along with the glittering MacGuffin, certain members of the ragged, knavish, racially diverse crew turn out to have mutinous agendas of their own and the climactic action takes place on or near a remote island. On the other hand, the author does retain his protagonist's resolute pacifism and the cast's strong, active women from the previous edition (notably Fish's knife-throwing young ally, Nora, and ruthless rival pirate Lady Swift). He also adds a list of several more hidden pirate treasures to set up the sequels. A cutaway view of the sloop heads up a fresh set of spot art at the chapter heads for this redesigned reboot. A rousing yarn. (Adventure. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.