Sam Binks is fascinated by pirates, inspired by the stories his grandfather told him about life on the high seas. Of course, you would never meet a real pirate these days… or would you? When not just one but two rival pirate ships appear on the horizon near Sam’s home on Bluemarsh Island, he knows he must do everything possible to defend his territory. Luckily, it might just turn out that not all pirates are the same, and some of the buccaneers who arrive on Sam’s beach might bring with them not just an amazing adventure but also a link to Sam’s past.

This book is a fun, well-written adventure with and abundance of positive messages and plenty of humour, much of it relating the elderly nature of the pirates and their obsession with pickled onions. As in all good children’s books it is down to the hero and his young friend Melody to save the day, while unravelling surprising secrets at the same time. It is a good length for 6-9s, and would work well as a bedtime story or for young readers to pick up on their own.