Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse, by Judith Rossell

Jack jumped backwards like a startled kangaroo, bumping into Rachel. Stewart’s face had twisted into a mean leer. It was almost unrecognisable. Jack saw a shiny gold tooth in his mouth, and a gold earring in one ear. The new, frightening Stewart leaned towards them, waving the bottle of green fizzy drink threateningly.

When people start turning into pirates, Jack Jones is scared. But when he learns that this is happening because he has inherited a curse, he is, quite frankly, terrified. The pirates are after him, seeking retribution for the actions of his great-great-many-times-great grandfather and they’ll continue chasing him until they get retribution, or until he dies. Jack soon realises that there’s no way he’ll ever outrun the pirates, but perhaps there is some chance he can outsmart them?

Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse is an action-packed, funny novel for 10 to 12 year old readers, full of swash-buckling pirates, zany parrots and rousing sea-shanties. There are also plenty of chases, fights, silliness and laughs.

This is the first novel for author Judith Rossell, who is better known for her illustration skills, but Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse is a first novel which proves Rossell is a talented writer.

Good stuff.

Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse, by Judith Rossell
Little Hare Books, 2006