By Liam G. Martin (author)
"On top of this being a swashbuckling and exciting pirate adventure for young readers to enjoy, this is also a really positive story about building confidence."
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A swashbuckling and confidence building adventure that pulls us into a world of sky pirates and on a treasure hunt. Chris and the Sky Pirates introduces us to Chris, a boy with cerebral palsy who is bullied at school for the way he walks. While trying to evade his bullies on the way home, he stumbles through a door that, in a Narnia-like fashion, transports him to a tavern filled with pirates.
Still trying to hide lands him on a ship that sets sail to take part in The Great Hunt, Given the option to keep hiding or integrate with the crew, Chris joins in on a race through the skies to find all the clues and reach the treasure first. This is an exciting, fast paced adventure that is filled with action that children will enjoy reading while also being inclusive and showcasing acceptance.
Chris’ cerebral palsy is highlighted at the start, but in the ship, he is praised for walking carefully and staying safe, automatically included in the hunt and celebrated when his wit helps the crew to find the clues. I liked that this story celebrated Chris’ skills and the differences of the other pirates in the crew.
I like Pete’s encouragement to be more involved and how Chris’ stay on the ship helps to bring him out of his shell a bit. Bert and Billy’s friendship was an interesting inclusion, they insult and wind each other up but it’s a dichotomy to Chris’ interactions with Josh at the start.
On top of this being a swashbuckling and exciting pirate adventure for young readers to enjoy, this is also a really positive story about building confidence.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
Chris has cerebral palsy. He is bullied at school because of how he walks. One day, on the way home from school, his bullies decided to chase him.
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To hide from them, he tries to go into an unused youth club. At first, the door is locked, but as his bullies approach, it begins to open. He goes inside as quickly as he can, but instead of finding himself inside a run-down youth club, he finds himself in a grubby tavern full of pirates.
To make things worse, the doorway back becomes blocked by a member of staff. Chris decides that his best option is to go outside and wait for the tavern to quieten down before returning and trying to go back through the doorway. When he is outside, though, he sees that he is in a dock that is floating in the sky!
Curiosity gets the better of Chris, and he decides to inspect some of the ships in the dock. While he is looking at one of the ships, three sky pirates come out of the tavern: Captain Amara, Bert, and Billy. To hide from them, Chris goes onto one of the ships.
What he doesn’t realise, though, is that the ship the three sky pirates are heading towards is the ship he is on! He is forced to go below the deck to hide from them. The ship immediately takes off.
His hopes of getting back to the tavern are dashed. The following day, Chris wakes to find he is no longer alone. Pete, the ship’s cook, is in the cargo hold.
He invites Chris to come out of hiding and offers him breakfast. Pete then tells Chris he will let him hide in the cargo hold until they return to the tavern, but that hiding away isn’t always the best option. Chris eventually decides not to hide.
He goes up to the main deck and introduces himself. It all goes well until Bert discovers Chris’s mobile phone and thinks Chris is a spy. Pete has to step in and convince them that Chris is not a spy.
He is allowed to stay on the ship. Soon, Chris learns that the sky pirates are participating in The Great Hunt – a treasure hunt that spans the entire sky. The first clue is on an island called Journey’s Start.
Captain Amara lets Chris join them when they reach the island. There, he meets the other sky pirate crews, including Captain Sharkey. After the crew tries to leave with the first clue, Captain Sharkey throws a smoke bomb at them to slow them down.
When the crew finally returns to the ship, they try to solve the clue. Billy notices two sets of numbers hidden on the clue:
A Feast for Pleasant Beasts
Clash of the Totems and the Lost Magaecians
The Keeper of the Stones
Chris has cerebral palsy. He is bullied at school because of how he walks.
Chris and the Sky Pirates features in the following genres: Indie Author Books , Indie Books We Love, Fantasy / Magical, Recommendations, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. Not Available.
Chris and the Sky Pirates was written by Liam G. Martin and published by Liam G. Martin
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