The End of Calico Jack (Caribbean Chronicles) (Volume 3)

In 1720, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny and Mary Read stole the William, a 12 ton sloop. I know. I was there. - Ricky
Last winter Ricky Bradshaw was just another gangly freshman hoping to fit in -- or at least not get picked on -- and maybe catch the attention of Becky Nance, a girl in his biology class. Except sometimes Ricky "zones out" in class because he has absence seizures. If you've never heard of absence seizures, that's okay. A lot of people haven't. Ricky's teachers are a lot of these people.

And that's what happened to Ricky last Christmas Eve: he had an episode. When he snapped out of it, Ricky was shirtless, wet, and on a raft in the middle of the Caribbean Sea being chased by pirates -- one of whom looked like Mr. Clawson, Ricky's English teacher. He concocted a plan to get back home, but in pirate land Ricky learns some things are worse than being unpopular in high school. MUCH worse.

* Like you can get captured by Jack Sparrow in Havana, Cuba, and be forced to say things like "Arrr ... me hearties!" "Avast ye scallywags" and "keel-haul the lubber."
* Like you can come face-to-face with Scary Mary Read in a grog shop and be forced to sign on as one of her crew.
* Like you can find yourself in a Peter Pan like treehouse called the Crews Nest and get roped into playing a game of darts with Calico Jack who throws with dirks and knives and often hits his opponent when he throws.
* Like you can find that Jack Sparrow is still trying to capture you.
* Like you can steal a British sloop from under the nose of the British navy.
* Like you can learn the person who you thought was your only ally in pirate land is the notorious pirate Ann Bonny.
* Like you can run aground on a reef on your way to Nassau and wreck the British sloop you stole.
* Like you can meet a pirate who looks, acts, and talks like the Charlton Heston version of Long John Silver.
* Like you can steal the William, a 12 ton sloop, and set sail for one of the largest pirate treasures ever taken.

Like you can do all this only to realize at the end of the voyage YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!. And that is only some of what happens to Ricky as he sails around the Spanish Main with Calico Jack, Ann Bonny, and Scary Mary Read. When this book ends with "The End" ... Ricky is at the end of his rope - and it is a noose.

Written for the General Market (G) (I): Contains no; sexual dialogue or strong language.

Interview with the Author

Q: Why should a boy or girl begin reading the Caribbean Chronicles Series?
Novels in the Caribbean Chronicles Series are fast, fun, clean teen and tween books that take readers back to the Golden Age of Piracy. Boys and girls will fall in love with the quirky characters Ricky Bradshaw meets, their pirate sayings, not-so-bright antics, and the way Ricky helps capture ships and find treasure by using the skills and knowledge a 21st century boy would when thrust back into the age of pirates.

Q: Why should parents buy the Caribbean Chronicles Series for their boys and girls?
Parents will appreciate the positive moral values and the absence of profanity and sexual situations. As an awkward, self-conscious teen, Ricky struggles with absence seizures. But his episodes also provide a way for him to travel back in time and alter current and future events -- provided he can escape pirate land without getting killed.

Q: What age is appropriate for these books?
The Caribbean Chronicles Series is appropriate for mature sixth grade readers. Other parents may choose seventh or eighth grade, due to the fact that Ricky IS fighting with pirates. It's also a great, nostalgic read for adults who enjoy reading about pirates and sailing adventure stories.