Living in bustling Dublin or a poor country farm? At age 11, Fish (nicknamed for his swimming skills) will soon find out which he prefers as he leaves his large family's small farm to work for his uncle as a courier. But his first parcel is snatched just as he is delivering it to Mr. Swift on the city dock! Chasing the thieves, Fish watches them row toward a menacing ship across the harbour and decides to swim after them to recover the bag of coins.
The sailors aren't going to give up their prize easily, and Fish finds himself kidnapped - aboard a pirate ship! A good captain (and his wife!), a skilled ship's cook (a girl!), a silent giant, a first mate plotting mutiny, and Fish's own determination to survive without fighting make life aboard ship complicated. The coins are part of a treasure map that must be unpuzzled...
Ahoy! "The Scurvy Mistress" is being pursued by Mr. Swift and his ship full of treasure hunters who shoot first and talk later! And they want those coins so they can complete the treasure map!
As they race to find the treasure predicted by the mysterious coins, Fish and crew must overcome treacherous waters, nefarious plots, and terrible smells. Who will discover it first - the honest pirates or the dishonest treasure hunters?
Travel the high seas with a young man who's true to himself in this tale of adventure and danger (and really funny characters!). 256 pages
Recommended by: Katy Manck, Librarian-at-Large (retired academic/corporate/school librarian), Gilmer, Texas, USA
