Merlin Publishers have gone buccaneer with their latest series of children’s books Il-Pirati and the adventures of Tommy and Marija.
Tommy and Marija are not your average siblings. Well they are, in the sense that like every other brother and sister they are always squabbling and competing with each other, but they are different because they happen to be the grandchildren of a very famous pirate. Their Nannu Ġanni and his loyal pirate parrot Mr Moody had many a swashbuckling adventure in their time. Now their grandfather is retired, but pirate blood still runs in the family and the brother and sister, together with their neighbour boy Willy, are always in search of adventure.
So who are these three children and why are they always ready to jump aboard their pirate ship to chart the seas for treasure to be found ahead?
Marija, 8, is a little feminist, who never lets go of her sword and who wants to show the world that lassies can be as good pirates as the lads. Her red-haired brother, Tommy, 10, who is rather impulsive, likes to believe that he is the captain of the group, but the real brain of the team is Willy, a clever bookworm whose fountain of knowledge often gets them out of many scrapes.
In the first book in the series, Il-Pirati: It-Teżor ta’ Morgan il-Pirata, the children find a map in a glass bottle. The map holds the secret location of a long lost treasure of baddie Pirate Morgan.
In Il-Pirati: Is-Serqa tad-Djamant, the three children happen to overhear a conversation between two veteran (and rather scary) pirates. They learn that the largest diamond in the world was hidden in an abandoned mine right at the edge of their very own village.
The books are whimsically illustrated by Jérôme Pélissier and are in full colour throughout – perfectly levelled for children between seven and nine years of age.
They are ideal for children who need to acquire confidence in reading: short chapters, engaging story and memorable characters – with a great sprinkling of baddies and heroes.
Il-Pirati: It-Teżor ta’ Morgan il-Pirata and Il-Pirati: Is-Serqa tad-Djamant are available for sale from all leading bookshops or from http://merlinpublishers.com .