Putting together our recent list of young adult books about spies has put us in the mood for some further literary adventures, and with this in mind we’ve prepared a list of young adult books about swashbuckling, plankwalking, sea-faring, and general pirate-y goodness. As always, feel free to add your suggestions for young adult pirate books in the comments, and I’ll update the list accordingly.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (our review forthcoming)

Blurb: The discovery of a treasure map sets young Jim Hawkins in search of buried gold, along with a crew of buccaneers recruited by the one-legged Long John Silver. As they near their destination, and the lure of Captain Flint’s treasure grows ever stronger, Jim’s courage and wits are tested to the full. Robert Louis Stevenson reinvented the adventure genre with Treasure Island, a boys’ story that appeals as much to adults as to children, and whose moral ambiguities turned the Victorian universe on its head. This edition celebrates the ultimate book of pirates and high adventure, and also examines how its tale of greed, murder, treachery, and evil has acquired its classic status. The book features an informative Introduction and explanatory notes by Peter Hunt, an updated bibliography, a revised chronology, and a glossary of nautical terms.

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Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress (see our review)

Blurb: A smart, funny mixture of fantasy and high adventure, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman tells the story of Alex Morningside, an inquisitive ten-and-a-half-year-old girl who lives with her uncle above a doorknob shop. A student at the prestigious Wigpowder-Steele Academy, Alex is often mistaken for a boy because of her bowl haircut, but that’s okay — she has an excellent sense of humor. Alex hates Wigpowder-Steele because as much as she enjoys learning, she doesn’t enjoy wearing a uniform with a skirt. She also doesn’t enjoy her teachers, who are all very old and smell funny and don’t seem to know about any of the developments that have happened in the world in the last thirty years. And she most definitely does not enjoy her peers, who are quite simply ridiculous. However, that’s okay, too, because her peers don’t enjoy her much either. Luckily for Alex, the new school year brings an exciting new teacher. Mr. Underwood makes lessons fun and teaches her how to fence. But Mr. Underwood has a mysterious family secret — the swashbuckling and buried treasure kind — and not everyone is glad he has come to Wigpowder-Steele. When the pirates of a ship called The Ironic Gentleman kidnap her beloved teacher, Alex sets off on a through-the-looking-glass journey to rescue him, along the way encountering a steady stream of hilarious and colorful characters, including one Captain Magnanimous, Coriander the Conjurer, and the Extremely Ginormous Octopus.

See also:

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Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure. The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate’s life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

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Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries by DC Akers

Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries; a thrilling high-seas adventure seen through the eyes of seventeen year old pirate Terra Vonnel, better known as the Sea Vixen. The roguish, yet charming girl has finally found one of the legendary Skulls of Aries, the greatest mystery known to man. With time running out she must now steal the remaining Skull from her vicious vampire nemesis, Count Dragos, and travel to Mount Aries to unlock the Gate of Monticule, which holds the Orb of Time. But what the Sea Vixen and her valiant crew do not know is something waits for them in the shadows of Mount Aries–something so unimaginable that no one has lived to tell about it.

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Pirates! by Celia Rees

Blurb: Nancy Kington, daughter of a rich merchant, suddenly orphaned when her father dies, is sent to live on her family’s plantation in Jamaica. Disgusted by the treatment of the slaves and her brother’s willingness to marry her off, she and one of the slaves, Minerva, run away and join a band of pirates. For both girls the pirate life is their only chance for freedom in a society where both are treated like property, rather than individuals. Together they go in search of adventure, love, and a new life that breaks all restrictions of gender, race, and position.

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The Giant Rat of Sumatra or Pirates Galore by Sid Fleischman

Blurb: A swashbuckling tale of thievery and revenge. The Giant Rat of Sumatra is the most notorious pirate ship in the Pacific. Its ferocious figurehead, a rat with crooked teeth and gouged-out eyes, strikes fear in the heart of every seafaring crew. Now the ship has dropped anchor in San Diego. Twelve-year-old cabin boy Shipwreck — so named after he was rescued from the sea by the pirates — is anxious to begin his long journey home to Boston. Instead, he finds himself swept up in a treacherous plot. It seems his adventure is only just beginning. . . .

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The Pirate Captain’s Daughter by Eve Bunting

Blurb: At age fifteen, Catherine’s life is about to change. Her mother has just died and Catherine can’t stand the thought of being sent to live with her aunt in Boston. She longs for a life of adventure. After she discovers her father’s secret life as captain of the pirate ship Reprisal, her only thoughts are to join him on the high seas. Catherine imagines a life of sailing the blue waters of the Caribbean, the wind whipping at her back. She’s heard tales of bloodshed and brutality but her father’s ship would never be like that. Catherine convinces her father to let her join him, disguised as a boy. But once the  Reprisal sets sail, she finds life aboard a pirate ship is not for the faint of heart. If her secret is uncovered, punishment will be swift and brutal.

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Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates by Philip Caveney

Blurb: Sebastian, Max and Cornelius are ready for another adventure and heading to the bustling port of Ramalat. Once there they intend to embark on a perilous sea journey in search of the fabled lost treasure of the pirate King, Captain Calinestra. But first, they must make it through the dark and mysterious forest of Geltane and survive an encounter with Leonora; a powerful enchantress, with a terrifying secret and a magical hold over Sebastian’s senses. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, when they finally reach Ramalat, a feisty female sea captain; an infamous young pirate; ravenous sea creatures, giant lizards; furious sea battles and breathtaking action await them. Will they discover the lost treasure? Will Sebastian live to tell the tale? Will Cornelius be beaten in armed combat? And will Max EVER stop moaning?

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Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle

Blurb: Quebrado has been traded from pirate ship to ship in the Caribbean Sea for as long as he can remember. The sailors he toils under call him el quebrado—half islander, half outsider, a broken one. Now the pirate captain Bernardino de Talavera uses Quebrado as a translator to help navigate the worlds and words between his mother’s Taíno Indian language and his father’s Spanish. But when a hurricane sinks the ship and most of its crew, it is Quebrado who escapes to safety. He learns how to live on land again, among people who treat him well. And it is he who must decide the fate of his former captors.

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The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes

Blurb: In seventeenth century England, a terrible accident forces orphaned Philip Marsham to flee London in fear for his life. Bred to the sea, he signs on with the “Rose of Devon,” a dark frigate bound for the quiet shores of Newfoundland. Philip’s bold spirit and knowledge of the sea soon win him his captain’s regard. But when the “Rose of Devon” is seized in midocean by a devious group of men plucked from a floating wreck, Philip is forced to accompany these “gentlemen of fortune” on their murderous expeditions. Like it or not, Philip Marsham is now a pirate–with only the hangman awaiting his return to England.
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The Pirates of Pensacola by Keith Thomson

Blurb: The Cooke and Hood families have been at each other’s throats since the Spanish Main days. The latest chapter in their piratic rivalry takes place in 2004, when an old treasure map turns up. None of this seems to matter to Morgan Cooke, a cowardly, landlubbing accountant entirely ignorant of his heritage until his estranged father, Isaac, in need of crewmen, kidnaps him and thrusts him into the fray. When Morgan wakes up on a boat in the middle of the Caribbean, he learns that piracy still flourishes, albeit with far more discretion than in the old days—pirates disguise their fast boats as shrimpers or tugs—but with no less bloodshed. Judging even a shot at riches vastly preferable to a return to his lonely, fluorescent-lit work station existence, Morgan pierces his ear, dons the eye patch and peg leg, and set sail for glorious adventure.

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To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker

Blurb: When Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold.  When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother.  He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace.  “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing. A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him.  But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

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The Pirate’s Son by Geraldine McCaughrean

Blurb: 14-year-old Nathan dreams of fighting pirates in faraway lands. Then his father dies, leaving Nathan penniless. When Tamo, the son of a famous pirate, invites Nathan to join him in Madagascar it seems as if Nathan’s daydreams are coming true. Nathan, his sister Maud, and Tamo seem to find adventure – and danger – everywhere.

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Terry and the Pirates by Julian F Thompson

Blurb: As soon as Terry’s mom mentions sending her to boarding school to “spread her wings,” Terry takes matters into her own hands and catches a ride out of town on the yacht belonging to a super-rich adventurer. It turns out someone else had the same plan, and Terry finds herself in the company of the billionaire’s bizarre son. It’s a strange series of fortunes and misfortunes, but hurricanes, modern-day pirates, olden-day buried treasure, split personalities, and blossoming love combine ridiculously and hilariously in this rip-roaring new book by Julian F. Thompson.

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Fish by Gregory Mone

Blurb: After taking a job as a courier for his uncle, Fish is waylaid by pirates, who steal the package he’s carrying. He soon learns that it’s the key to locating the Chain of Chuacar, a legendary treasure. As he works to earn the trust of Cobb, the fortune-hunting captain of the Scurvy Mistress, Fish learns of a mutiny headed by a nasty pirate called Scab. With time running out to find the Chain, Fish and some fellow shipmates still loyal to Cobb must thwart Scab’s dastardly plan.

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Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Blurb: Don’t even think of starting this book unless you’re sitting in a comfortable chair and have lots of time. A fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger. Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerses the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan.

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Pirate Curse by Kai Meyer

Blurb: The Pirates of the Caribbean have a name for kids who walk on water — they call them polliwogs. As far as fourteen-year-old Jolly knows, she’s the last polliwog still alive — and this special talent makes her invaluable to the pirate captain who raised her.  When someone sets a trap for Jolly’s ship, she alone escapes. Washed up on a tiny island, she meets Munk, who has been raised in hiding. Munk longs to go to sea, but his parents are afraid of pirates. They have forbidden Munk to reveal his true identity — he, too, is a polliwog.
But pirates are not the only threat in the Caribbean. Evil forces are stirring, and a demon from the sea attacks and murders Munk’s parents. Was the demon really after Munk? And Jolly, too? Why are the polliwogs so valuable, and who’s willing to kill to possess them?  Jolly and Munk must sail with a strange crew of outcasts, led by the mysterious Ghost Trader, to avenge their loved ones and try to stop an ancient, malevolent force known as the Maelstrom.

See also:

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The Princess and the Captain by Anne-Laure Bondoux

Blurb: Malva is the princess of Galnicia, destined to marry the Prince of Andemark. Or so her parents think. On the eve of her wedding, she escapes at dead of night from under her parents’ noses, little realising that she is letting herself in for a life of peril and adventure, including being shipwrecked in a huge storm and captured as part of a harem. Hugely visual, the book tells of the wonder of frozen steppes and oriental palaces, of sailing ships and treasure islands. This is a book of drama, magic and excitement, where challenges have to be overcome, friendships cemented and hearts broken.

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The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

Blurb: On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes – and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about.

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Will Shakespeare and the Pirate’s Fire by Robert J Harris

Blurb: Get ready for thrills, intrigues, mystery and piracy all set in Tudor England and featuring a young man named Will Shakespeare…“I’d give anything for a good horse right now…” says young Will Shakespeare.When Will gets mixed up in poaching, his father sends him away from Stratford in a band of travelling actors. On the outskirts of London, a fierce storm forces them to take refuge at the house of Doctor Dee – Queen Elizabeth I’s astrologer. While there, they get caught up in a plot involving piracy, “magic” and the secret of the “Devil’s Fire”.Another compulsive “it could really have happened!” adventure by the author of Leonardo and the Death Machine.

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The Brotherhood of Pirates by William Gilkerson

Blurb: In 1952 off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, fierce winds force a small boat into port. The sailor of the boat is the eccentric Captain Charles Johnson, who then takes up residence at the small inn run by a young boy, Jim, and his mother. With each day, Captain Johnson becomes more and more valuable to the family and changes the fortunes of their previously struggling business. But it soon becomes clear that the stranger living in their midst is more than just a sailor. Who is this man who tells such vivid stories about sailing on a pirate ship? And how can he possibly know so much?

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Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates by Sean Cullen

Blurb:The mysterious Hamish X is the scourge of the Orphan Disposal Agency—Agents Candy and Sweet can’t seem to find a facility that can hold him. After arriving at the Windcity Orphanage, where the children are forced to earn their keep making stinky blue cheese, Hamish X is soon planning his escape along with new friends Parveen and Mimi. But his plans are put on hold when the factory is suddenly attacked by a fierce gang of pirates, led by the dreaded Cheesebeard of Snow Monkey Island. In order to save the other orphans, Hamish X, Mimi, and Parveen must embark upon an epic adventure across the Arctic and take on the cheese-obsessed pirates by themselves.

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Lorenzo and the Pirate by Rick Guzman

Blurb: Lorenzo is off on his next adventure! This time, he sails the high seas with pirates. It is 1779. Eighteen-year-old Lorenzo Bannister boards a pirate ship to give medical aid and amputates the captain s leg to save his life. The British attack and sink the pirate ship, marooning Lorenzo and an amnesiac pirate on a deserted island.