The Pirate Company: On the Trail of the Golden Toucan (Susan Cason, Scholastic)

Young Tom Applecross has recently lost his father Josiah, the famous explorer and discoverer of the Lost City. With Josiah missing and presumed dead after failing to return from a jungle expedition, Tom’s stepmother sends Tom from his home in Port Pandora to live with his great aunt Audrey in Boston, despite his protests. Tom is resigned to his fate as his ship sets sail over the Caribbean. However, after an encounter with a band of down-on-their-luck pirates, Tom is swept overboard, and by a strange twist of fate, is rescued by the very same pirates. Tom buys his life by telling them of his father’s precious golden toucan, still at home in Port Pandora and in the possession of his treacherous stepmother. Will Tom and the pirates find the toucan? Why did his stepmother insist that Tom leave? Will Tom make a new life as a buccaneer? Susan Cason’s new novel is a lively adventure yarn. The crew of the pirate ship Thimblerig are a quirky band, replete with peg legs and pet monkeys. Cason shows both the harsh and the attractive sides of life at sea, complete with thrilling sea battles and hidden treasure.  This is a fun book for younger readers.

Heath Graham is a teacher and former bookseller

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Category: Reviews