the pirates! are at it again

Article first published as Book Review: The Pirates! In an Adventure with the Romantics by Gideon Defoe on Blogcritics.

Author Gideon Defoe’s fifth and latest Pirates! adventure, the soon-to-be-released The Pirates!: In an Adventure with the Romantics is as silly and amusing as his previous entries in the series.

The Romantics in question are Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Mary Godwin, who are bored out of their minds in a villa they are sharing in drizzly Geneva, Switzerland, and just raring for some adventure. Enter the Pirate Captain and his crew, including the Pirate with a Scarf (his first mate), the Pirate with Gout, Jennifer, the Albino Pirate, and all the rest. For a reasonable price, the hard-up Pirate Captain charges the Romantics for an adventure they'll never forget.

But there are complications. The Pirates don't exactly know how to produce an adventure, besides hoping one will turn up on their doorstep. And the Pirate Captain seems to be developing quite a crush on Mary. Is it possible that their shared interests in monsters might bring them closer together?

The Pirate Captain and his crew, as they appeared in the recent Aardman Animations film, The Pirates! Band of Misfits

As in his other books, Defoe peppers the story with eccentric notes to the reader. If it happens that one is unfamiliar with Mary Godwin, Defoe tells the reader that "Mary's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Her father, William Godwin, who was a bit better at titles, wrote Jack and the Beanstalk." Funny and informative.

Defoe's depiction of Byron, with a booming voice, reminiscent of British actor Brian Blessed, is always amusing. Mary Godwin comes across as smart and even sassy. Shelley fares the worst — possibly Defoe is no great fan of his poetry. He certainly casts doubt on why Godwin and Shelley ever managed to get together.

Their adventures take them from the Lakes of Geneva to the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and to a remote and ghostly castle in the Carpathian mountains. We learn a little bit more about the intrepid and always self-confident Pirate Captain, such as his flair for writing pulp fiction and a mysterious belly tattoo.

Defoe, who, as his bio states, "is a bit of a one-trick pony," is definitely onto something good with his Pirates! series. The books are a rollicking read, full of laughs and lots of fun for readers who spot some of his literary in-jokes. The Pirates! In an Adventure with the Romantics is most entertaining, and hopefully The Pirate Captain and his crew will continue their adventures for some time to come.

Related:
aargh!!! pirates!
animated pirates, yo ho ho!

remembering josh

I recently found out that a dear man I know died unexpectedly. Joshua Beasley was not only a wonderful guy, but he was a wonderful teacher. He was part of a team of teachers at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center. Josh was primarily the center's afternoon enrichment teacher, but he would also fill-in as needed, in all the classes, from infants on up. My daughter started out in the Center's infant care at the age of seven months and graduated from the kindergarten last year, so she knew Josh most of her life. She always liked Mr. Beasley, but last year, when he was her teacher every afternoon, she grew to love him.

Talking about Beowulf, swordsmanship, the Bodleian Library and the Bayeux Tapestry

My daughter has always bonded with her teachers and has loved them all, but I think that Mr. Beasley was her favorite. He touched something in her, and in me, too. I was able to participate in a few of his lessons last year and was amazed at his ability to deftly include my show-and-tell of the Bayeux Tapestry into his ongoing lesson on Beowulf. Yes, Beowulf, for kindergartners. Josh interpreted classics like Beowulf, Hamlet and Sherlock Holmes for five and six-year-olds and he made them always fun, brilliant, and exciting. He was so excited himself about learning and transmitted his joy and enthusiasm so well that I know my daughter will take that excitement for learning with her throughout her life.

Lessons learned

We moved away from the area last year—moved on to first grade, so it was unlikely that we were going to see Mr. Beasley anytime soon. But I feel so bereft to know that not only will we never see him now, but that his wonderful magic with learning, his interactive method of teaching children, and his own personal pursuit of knowledge is at an end. There is no explaining or understanding something like this. It is just tragic.

At kindergarten graduation

I see no reason at this point to tell my daughter about Josh. What purpose would that serve? If we were still in the area, and there was a chance she might see him while visiting me at work, then that would make sense. My heart goes out to all the on-the-spot parents and children and colleagues of Josh who have to deal more directly with his loss. My daughter still talks about him a lot, whenever she sees or hears something that reminds her of him. With his love of Tigger, and expertise at drawing Disney characters, that can be quite often. She has wonderful memories and associations, and right now I do not need to taint them with sadness and regret. We've had enough sadness for a while. When she's a little older, if he comes up in conversation, maybe I will tell her. Maybe. Maybe someday she will read this.

I do know that when we walk through a bookstore and her voice suddenly rises to a delighted, excited,squeak as she says, "Oh! Mr. Beasley had that book!" or, "Mr. Beasley drew that picture for us!", I am happy, too. I know that Josh would be pleased to know that he had such an impact. And I hope that my daughter will continue to remember and enjoy what Josh taught her, sharing what she's learned, and realizing how fortunate she was to have had such a great teacher. A teacher in a lifetime.