Sid loves maps. She’s even drawing her own of her small seaside town of Fathom. She carries it with her everywhere in a special folder around her neck, so that whenever she sees something different she can add it to her map.

Her map doesn’t just have streets and roads on it, it has trees and shops and letterboxes and even the gravestones in the graveyard. It’s when she is adding a new headstone to her map that lighting strikes and an apparition appears in the doorway of the graveyard’s mausoleum.

Later, in her room, she tries to tell herself it was the church caretaker, but soon can deny what she saw no more. A bright blue and yellow macaw begins to follow her around town screeching ‘BUM!’ in her ear, and a large pirate with long black hair, a diamond in his ear and a cutlass at his side, is sunbathing on the beach!

No-one else can see this ghost pirate and his parrot, and Sid struggles to ignore them any longer. She can’t tell anyone what she can see, not even her best friend Zen. Even though they’ve played imaginative games all their lives, he surely wouldn’t believe her.

The pirate is 300 year’s dead Ezekiel Kittrow – also known as Bones. The bird is called Elizabeth. They are delighted at being free. But they have unfinished business and the only way they will leave Sid alone is if she helps them find Bones’ treasure. The only problem is he can’t remember what is is, or where he hid it.

Sid is thrown into an adventure full of treasure hunts, more lost souls, facing her bullies, learning more about her town’s history and her own mum who died when she was a baby.

She never would have believed a ghost could become a friend and that she would be brave enough to fight a creature who collects souls for fun, let alone finally being brave enough to just be herself.

Sid tells her story directly to the reader. She’s an instantly likeable character, quirky, funny and brave. The relationship she builds with a 300 year old ghost calls Bones is tentative at first. But Bones is full on pirate, in his speech, behaviour and brashness.

Both characters transform throughout this story. Sid finds her courage and finally stands up for herself against bullies and realises who she really is, and as they search for his treasure, Bones begins to remember what he is truly looking for.

An often funny, sometimes creepy, but always captivating Yo Ho Ho adventure of piratey proportions. Ghosts, laughs, treasure and mystery, all wrapped up with a stunning cover, by the author of The Land of Roar.

Author – Jenny McLachlan

Illustrator – Chloe Dominique

Age – 8+

(2022, Harper Collins, Pirates, Macaw, Parrot, Ghosts, Spirits, Wraiths, Spooky, Creepy, Funny, Humour, Seaside town, Graveyard, Maps, Treasure, Courage, Bravery, Mystery, Treasure Hunt, Family, Pirate Parade, Miniature Railway)