Eleven-year-old Sparks is a deck hand on the Southern Cross, a pirate ship led by Captain Barracuda. Sparks and the crew discover a book left by the infamous pirate, Phineas Johnson Krane, but they cannot read. The fifty-three zany pirates learn to read and decipher the book’s contents so they can go in search of Krane’s real hidden treasure. In this laugh-aloud story, the pirates learn that the most valuable treasures are reading, writing, and family. An extensive Barracuda’s Glossary is included. mjw |