Review: The Curse of the Bone Pirates - Arghhh!

Recognize these eyes? Argh, those be the eyes of me favorite pirate o' all time...Cap'n Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame, they be. Aye, I loves ol' Cap'n Jack- er, Johnny Depp.:)

So, when I heard about a new book called Curse of the Bone Pirates, a Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventure by B.T. Hope (Brian Machovina and Tina DiCicco), well, I couldn't pass up the chance to check it out.

The Nui Island book site describes the book as:

An evil force is destroying the natural wonders of Nui Island, and it’s up to three new friends to solve the mystery. When Big B is dragged from his comfortable life and close friends in Chicago by his grandfather’s mysterious affliction, he’s sure he’s going to have the worst summer ever. But soon after arriving in the tropical paradise of Nui Island, he is caught in a web of danger and intrigue. The Maemae reef is dying, his grandfather’s brilliant mind has been infected and creepy Island legends are coming to life. Big B and his new friends, Sam and Nalu, rely on wit, courage and strength to unravel Nui’s ancient mysteries. What they uncover will help them save the Island, restore his grandfather’s soul, and break the curse of the Bone Pirates. With a captivating plot, fascinating characters and an important ecological message, Curse of the Bone Pirates: Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventures will haunt and delight young readers.

All of that is true but the book is all of that and so much more!!

I have mentioned before that my daughter, P1 is learning how to read and has an extremly inquisitive mind. One look at this book and I knew she would love it so she and her Dad are very busy reading it together these days. Of course, P2 does not want to be left out and I love listening to Brett read so there are often many sets of ears listening in.

Big B is a totally likable unlikely hero with hair that never fails to make my girls laugh. And of course my hubby likes him because his real name is - Brett.:) Big B has a HUGE transition to make when he arrives at Nui Island - think Mrs. Howell on Gilligan's Island. Big B is, after all, a city kid from Chicago and Nui Island is, well, rather low key and unsophistcated.

Sam however, is our favorite. Seriously, she gives girl-power new meaning. Anyone who can carry off purple and lavender hair like she does, is that quick and agile and well, let's face it, is one smart and wise cookie, well, she simply rocks! She and Nalu are like salt and pepper with Nalu being the calm, cool and laid back character that every good threesome needs.

Professor Prune is Big B’s grandpa and it is his 'illness' that gets Big B to the island in the first place. While he is the local eco-Einstein eco-logical genius and all around good guy working to help nature along in any way he can - had something happen to scramble his brain a bit, and it is up to Big B, Sara and Nalu to find out what it was ... before it is too late!

The entire book is entertaining - start to finish. It is what one might call a real page turner and I say that in the best sense. While it is designated a 'juvenile book, for ages 9-12, I dare any adult to read it and not find it entertaining. Seriously. The back cover even goes so far as to say that it is “safe for adults with kid supervision.” Yes, it is that sense of humor that you cannot help but enjoy.

Now as any good mama would do, I have pretty much kept to myself the educational aspect of the book. Curse of the Bone Pirates gives great examples all through the book of things that the island does to keep their environment healthy. Talk about a good example! And I loved how there are true fact interwoven as you go along...what an easy way to learn!

Besides, if you buy Curse of the Bone Pirates, you’re buying a book printed on recycled paper with soy inks! And Nui donates $1 from every copy sold to “charities that empower youth.” And add to that, the publisher, Greenleaf Book Group, operates a Tree Neutral program that plants trees to balance out our extensive use of trees.

The Curse of the Bone Pirates can be purchased at Nui’s online store or at Amazon.com for about $11.95

But if you just need to interest your child - young or old - in reading a great pirate adventure matey, well, then show them this bit o' treasure -

Cool stuff hidden between the covers of this book include: poisonous sea snakes, black gold, biomimetics, Sirius, seagull poop, how to say paradise in Polynesian, hidden volcanic caves, Shakespearean verse, the Cliff Hanger, a shell phone, bioluminescence, names to call your friends in Spanish, dinoflagellates, waste water webs, carrot toothbrushes, drinking green slime, rainbow salsa, getting worked by a wave, the Bloodlust, archeology, screm do kafle, vaporous cannonballs, katuk, an anamorphoscope, eating ants, banana-mobiles and much, mucho, more.

Read it. Life may depend on it.

Arrrghh!

A very special thanks to the Family Review Network and Nui for providing a copy of the Curse of the Bone Pirates for our opinions.