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The Pirates of Crocodile Swamp

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The Pirates of Crocodile Swamp

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Overview

A long way from home, Sandy and Jack Casperin escape their abusive father and disappear into Crocodile Swamp, a remote wilderness in the Florida Keys. With nothing but their wits and limited supplies, the boys must learn to fend for themselves as they survive surrounded by snakes, massive crocodiles and a territorial hammerhead shark.

But it is only with the help of newfound friends?a local girl their age, and an old sailor (who might be a real pirate!)? that they can truly escape from their tragic past and make a new life for themselves.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101029084
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/05/2009
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	983,445
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jim Arnosky is well known for his "keen observations of nature and his fine artistic talent" (School Library Journal). He has written and illustrated many children’s books. Otters Under Water was called "first-rate natural history for the youngest" by Kirkus Reviews (pointer review), and School Library Journal wrote that in it "each of his creatures exhibits a distinct individualism." Every Autumn Comes the Bear was called "vibrant, translucent and strikingly composed" by Publishers Weekly, and Booklist wrote "Arnosky's radiant pictures have a dazzling sense of pattern and composition . . . and a sense of mystery. A beautiful, imaginative, and informative approach." School Library Journal said of Rabbits & Raindrops, “Perfect for story-time or lap-time reading, this book will give children a feeling of security and contentment.”

Jim Arnosky and his family live on a twenty-acre farm in Vermont.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

Gr 4-6
Sandy, 11, and Jack, 9, are growing up under rough circumstances in 1982. Their father is abusive and frequently drunk; their mother is distant and depressed. When their dad accidentally causes the death of their four-year-old brother, things get even worse. One day he picks them up from school and speeds away from their Pennsylvania home, not stopping until they reach the Florida Keys. The boys assume that he beat their mother to death. Jack, who loves TV nature programs, hates his father and wants to escape. He convinces the more practical Sandy that they should gather supplies, find a boat, and flee to Crocodile Swamp, a nature preserve, where their father will never come after them. They steal some of his money, are soon living on a crocodile-infested island, and meet an old Cuban fisherman who just might have once been a pirate. Pirates is an exciting story, with plenty of Arnosky's trademark insight into the delights and dangers of the natural (and human) world. The prose is direct and gripping, the characterization strong, and the story includes just enough of the author's illustrations to enrich the fast-moving tale.-Walter Minkel, Austin Public Library, TX

School Library Journal

After a wild ride down I-95 with their unpredictably violent father, Sandy and Jack Casperin find themselves in the Florida Keys, far from home. Escaping the man who accidentally killed their younger brother and maybe their mother, the boys, 11 and nine, head for a crocodile swamp, hoping to hide and live off the land. Arnosky's passion for this part of the world is evident, and the mangrove-swamp setting becomes the focus of this survival story. An unlikely situation and minimally developed characters will not keep readers from being caught up in the action as the boys encounter crocodiles, a hammerhead shark and poisonous snakes, as well as less dangerous creatures and a helpful, elderly Cuban fisherman living nearby on a boat. Jack is an enthusiastic nature watcher, full of information that he happily passes on to his older brother, who tells the story, and to readers. Pilot-pen sketches decorate the pages and open each chapter. This sure-to-please adventure for middle-grade readers is a promising new direction for the prolific nature writer. (Fiction. 8-11)

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