Jack Black and the Ship of Thieves

Pirates! Volcanoes! Hidden islands! Earthquakes! Giant airships! Sea monsters! Jack Black, son of the captain of the Bellerophon, the largest airship in the world, knows he's headed for adventure when he joins his father on an around-the-world trip. But he has no idea of the extent of his upcoming escapades. Starting with a fall from thousands of feet up in the sky, and a miraculous safe landing on a cursed--or blessed, depending on how you look at it--pirate ship, Jack embarks on a wild quest to save his father and the airship, which has been planted with a bomb. Along the way, he helps the buccaneers vanquish an automated war machine, rescue a dashing and beautiful young airplane pilot (who in turn helps save the pirates), and break the curse of the pirate ship. The story includes a cast of unforgettable characters: a lyrical cook drunk on molasses, a pair of gruff twins who have not spoken to each other in 25 years, but who sing in beautiful harmony in their sleep, and an elderly woman who lives quite contentedly on an otherwise uninhabited, virtually unreachable volcanic island. Packed with betrayal, friends from surprising corners, and many lessons in trust and courage, this is a ripsnorting adventure no one will want to put down. (Ages 8 to 13) --Emilie Coulter