Ben Huntsmore loves his home on Badger’s Hill (his mother’s ancestral family estate  in England.) He has many friends, a mutual respect with the farm hands, and life is good. Until his father comes home from London with the worst news in the world.

Due to gambling debts, Badger’s Hill no longer belongs to them and they are to sail to New Holland (Australia), on the other side of the world. Ben’s life is tipped upside down, dealing with guilt, typhoid, grief, and the knowledge that his father is a callous business man with no thought for anyone but himself and filling his pockets with gold – by any means necessary. Even pirating.

On reaching Sydney town, Ben can’t stand the convict’s (his father’s cargo) cries from below decks any longer, and he frees one man from the hell they have been in for months and months. This kindness will be the making of Ben and his future.

Sailing again with his father and a bloodthirsty crew, they aim to capture a wealthy ship and plunder all lives on board before raiding their stores and cargo. This will replenish his father’s bank accounts and they will return to England, wealthy once more. Unhappy with his father’s plan but unsure at what else to do, Ben decides to make himself useful aboard – gaining a sliver of respect from the crew. With all that Ben has lost in the past months, he is soon to lose more, nearly even his life.

Taken back to a merciless time of early Sydney, bursting with convicts from the UK, some for just petty crimes; I felt for Ben and how his childhood was stolen from him, having to grow up fast or perish. This was a time of violence, drunks, double-dealing, mutiny, and death. But it’s also a tale of kindness, courage, loyalty and adventure.

Ben is an authentic character and the meticulous research into the maritime sections of the story and the history of early Australia, put me right next to Ben in the crows nest of the ship, far above the heaving waves.

The decisions he had to make and his strong sense of right and wrong was a strong contrast to the greed, and ruthlessness around him.

Pirate Boy is brilliant historical fiction.

Author – Jackie French

Age – 10+

Teacher’s Notes here

(Australia, Historical, Pirates, Convicts, Aborigine, Courage, Determination)