It’s the early 18th century and young Thomas is on board a merchant ship with his parents sailing for the Caribbean. He’s convinced that life as pirate would be more exciting though, and that swashbuckling is in his blood. His chance comes when the ship is captured by the dastardly Captain Morgan. Thomas stows away and when he emerges he’s recruited into the pirate crew. Despite his confidence however, he turns out to be a really dreadful pirate. His mishaps and misadventures prove both funny and exciting, while there’s lots of genuine information about pirates and pirate life slipped in, particularly in special ‘Get Real’ boxes. Sarah Horne’s inky illustrations add to the atmosphere and this delivers as fact and fiction.
Readers would also enjoy Philip Ardagh’s new Secret Diary series, which begins with The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge Medieval Knight in Training. ~Andrea Reece
The Long Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate Synopsis
Meet Thomas - a boy sailing with his parents aboard a merchant ship in the 18th century and prone to daydreaming about living an exciting life as a pirate on the high seas. When the ship is boarded by a pirate crew led by Captain Bartholomew Morgan, Thomas stows away and is accepted into their motley gang. However, life as a pirate proves far less romantic than he was expecting...
Get Real! fact boxes, a timeline and glossary provide context and additional information about the historical period covered by the story. KS2.
Tim Collins worked in advertising before turning his talents to writing, where he specializes in humorous historical fiction for children. His books have been translated into over 30 languages worldwide. He has won awards including the Manchester Fiction City award, the Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award and the Kalbacher Klapperschlange award.
