I’m sure I’ve mentioned my love of villains before, and what better than a series based on a villain?
Peter Pan is a great story, but to be honest, I’m just in it for Captain Hook and the crocodile. Have you seen Dustin Hoffman’s portrait of him in the movie Hook?!? Anyway, after Captain Hook is eaten by the crocodile, does anyone care? I mean other than Peter seeing it as a victory? Smee obviously would have mourned him, but would anyone else?
The answer is yes, at least in the Neverland created by Heidi Schulz. Ms. Schulz has taken the time to write down the story of Hook’s daughter Jocelyn and her quest for revenge.
To be fair, Jocelyn is also on a quest to break free of English society and the stifling expectations of her grandfather. She does figure out how to get to Neverland and managed to put together a passable crew, with Mr. Smee’s help. Of course she’s going to run into Peter and the Lost Boysbut she handles Peter in style. She even managed to befriend a fairy and find a long lost friend from England. But can she find the crocodile and get her revenge?
We rejoin Jocelyn and her crew in The Pirate Code as they search for her father’s legendary treasure. Jocelyn learns the hard way that she cant trust all pirates.
One of the things I love about these books is the abusive narrator. He just doesn’t like kids and he’s not afraid to tell us. He is very similar to the narrator in the Mabel Jones books and even reminds me of the narrator in The Anybodies.
Pirates a always a great read, and I’d like to mention a series I haven’t read yet. Caroline Carlson’s Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates is a trio of books about a young girl who has decided she’s meant to be an adventurer. Along with her gargoyle and two professional pirates they need to find the missing magic from their homeland.
