She was told she was abandoned, but Lavender refused to believe it. Her mum taught her to pick pockets and steal things to swap for food, but surely she wouldn’t just abandon her?

Lavender was seen alone and scared, and she was stolen herself from the dark streets. Stolen by an ugly woman and smuggled onto a pirate ship called The Good Marchioness. This was not just any ship, but was manned by The Worshipful Company of Uncommon Seaman – renowned from Britain to Barbary.

The sailors aboard were uncommon indeed, all magical in their own way. The Captain has a wing instead of an arm, cursed before birth. The first mate can turn into a ginger cat at will, and the woman who stole Lavender is a cursed ogress. In fact the whole ship is cursed, and on a mission to find a treasure map that will help break it.

This is the reason Lavender was snatched from her seaside home of Whitby. The ogress smelt magic on Lavender. A special skill that would be useful aboard a cursed pirate ship. There were other children too. Poppet had the measure of things, whether it be a recipe, or plans afoot. One girl’s hair could heal any hurt and others are also magically gifted. Lavender is renamed Hans, just as all the other children have new names. She tucks her name down into her heart, determined not to forget who she really is.

A swashbuckling, magical adventure on the high seas! The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe is full of action, curses, wishes, wants and marvels. Stolen children make up much of the cast, all magical in their own way and taken to help a pirate ship captain and her crew, to break a curse that could turn them all to sand.

With beautiful simile and fantastical action, this is a gorgeous read for sophisticated tween readers to enjoy. An almanac’s calendar increases the tension throughout as time runs out for the crew to find what they need to survive. Dastardly pirate behaviour is thwarted by kindness and caring more than once, and a stolen child’s longing to go home is weighed up against the experiences along the way.

Illustrations appear between chapters, adding to the sumptuous story and hardback production, making this a wonderful gift.

Author – Karen Foxlee

Illustrator – Bethany Loveridge

Age – 10+

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

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(2025, Allen & Unwin, Pirates, Action, Family, Love, Loss, Magical Stolen Children, Kidnapped, Whitby, Wonder, Curse, Ocean, Sea, Sailors, Wishes, Ghost ship, Treasure Map, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Friendship, Mystery)