Summary: Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, "terminally shy" boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis's family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it's already occupied -- by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn't left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates -- a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks -- he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, "terminally shy" boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis's family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it's already occupied -- by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn't left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates -- a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks -- he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, "terminally shy" boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis's family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it's already occupied -- by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn't left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates -- a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks -- he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
Lewis Dearborn is a loser until his great-grandfather's deathbed mandate--"Libertalia. You!"--transforms his sad existence into a pirate fantasy. His family moves into Great-Granddad's historic mansion, where he has unexpected roommates: seven dead pirates seeking a pirate haven called Libertalia. With lots of aye!s and sword-swishing, the pirates encourage Lewis to be bold and fierce. A charmingly funny, if too-neatly resolved, romp. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Book Review
A new bedroom with seven high-spirited spirits! Just the place where shyness goes to die. Thanks to smothering parents and a bullying classmate, young Lewis is such a skittish wreck that he's unable to speak at all in school. An isolated tower room in Shornoway, a ramshackle seaside mansion that his family has inherited, seems like the perfect hideoutuntil, that is, he discovers that he's sharing space with a boisterous, argumentative crew of pirates two centuries dead. Terror turns to cautious acceptance as he discovers that his ghostly roommates are captivated by tales of Capt. Hook and Long John Silver. Lewis also learns that if only they can be reunited with their old ship, now housed in the town museum, they will happily sail off for a fabled pirate haven. But for all their bluster and cutlass-waving, these sea dogs are leery of venturing out into the modern world. Their tendency to become visible when upset becomes an issue when one follows him to school. This and other incidents forcibly chip away at Lewis' reserve, leaving him not only ready to lead the pirates publicly down to the museum, but to perform heroically when the ship turns out to have a rival spectral crew. Bailey endows Lewis with several scene-stealing allies (notably a fierce kindergartener) and leaves him confidently steering a course toward calm waters. Piratical fun well-stocked with colorful cast members living and arrghh. (Fantasy. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
TextPublication details: Toronto, Ontario : Tundra Books, [2015]Description: 296 pages ; 21 cmISBN: