Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
May 1, 2020/in 8-10 Junior/Middle Adventure /by bookskeeps
BfK Rating:
BfK 242 May 2020
Reviewer: Matthew Martin
ISBN: 978-1471190773
Price: £6.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Genre:
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 352pp
Buy the Book

Sky Pirates

Author: Alex EnglishIllustrator: Mark Chambers

There’s a lot to be said for proper, honest-to-goodness children’s adventure stories, and all of it can be said about Sky Pirates. Eleven-year-old Echo Quickthorn is an orphan and a ward of thoroughly unlikeable King Alfons of Lockfort. Lockfort itself is positioned on the edge of the Barrens and its inhabitants believe that beyond the Barrens is nothing, just cloud, mist and a very big drop. Why King Alfons is so eager to promulgate this belief is one of the mysteries of the book and it’s part of Echo’s destiny to disprove this piece of fake news. Unlike bookish Prince Horace, the only other child she’s allowed to be friends with, Echo dreams of escape so the unexpected arrival of a hot air balloon containing an eccentric explorer Professor Daggerwing provides exactly the opportunity she’s longed for. Before you can say “second star to the right”, Echo has rescued the professor from Lockfort’s dungeons and is sailing off with him in his hot air balloon on the trail of truth, adventure and – she hopes – her long-lost mother. Horace of course is caught up too and the relationship between these two motherless children (the queen died when he was five) is one of the many enjoyable aspects of this story.

The children’s adventures bring them new experiences and new friends but into danger too – there’s an unforgettable encounter with man-eating plants, and a surprising run-in with those eponymous pirates. Echo is a truly sympathetic character, her adventures unfold at a delightful pace and are livened with humour as well as those moments of real peril, while Alfons is most definitely a villain for our times. It’s heartening too that on her journey into the unknown, Echo learns so much about herself. A thoroughly enjoyable read. 

 

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sky-pirates.jpg 400 261 bookskeeps http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png bookskeeps2020-05-01 09:23:312021-02-25 14:40:30Sky Pirates

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

BfK 254 May 2022 Download BfK Issue BfK 254 May 2022
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Shortlist for the 2022 SLA Information Book Award

June 23, 2022

2022 Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Winners Announced

June 16, 2022

UK Nominations for IBBY’s List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2023

June 14, 2022

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2022 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Missing One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller
Scroll to top