Wild & Wonderful Wednesday: Pirates

Fish
by Gregory Mone
Scholastic Press, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-11632-9
Reviewed from personal copy

Maurice Reidy, known as Fish to his family and friends, has a natural affinity for the water.  Unfortunately, this skill does not aide his family in working the family farm.  When things become desperate, Fish goes to work with his uncle in the city to earn money to help his family. 

Things change dramatically, when Fish is given a mysterious pouch to deliver.  Fish is waylaid before he can deliver the pouch and finds himself desperately trying to get the pouch back.  He swims out to the ship where the thief has gone and inadvertently finds himself setting sail with a group of pirates.  Leaving behind everything he knows, Fish joins the captain in searching for a mysterious treasure, wrestling with his own conscious, and trying to prevent a mutiny.

What I find most interesting about this book is the fact that Fish has a conscience and quite a strong sense of right and wrong.  When he first finds himself on the pirate ship, he tries really hard to get the pouch back so he can complete the task he was assigned by his uncle.  This task proves impossible and he struggles with what joining the pirate crew requires of him.  He manages to hold onto to his honor and his life, despite a strong dislike of fighting.  Like many pirate books, treasure is at the heart of this story, but not just the monetary kind.  The writing is descriptive and pleasant and there is plenty of action.  Recommended.