Seven Dead Pirates

Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, "terminally shy" boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis's family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it's already occupied -- by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn't left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates -- a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks -- he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.

Linda Bailey is the author of more than two dozen books for children, including the Stevie Diamond mystery series, the Good Times Travel Agency graphic novels, and an eclectic assortment of picture books including If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur and the acclaimed Stanley's Party. She has won awards across North America such as the California Young Readers' Medal, the Georgia Storybook Award, the Ontario Blue Spruce and Silver Birch Awards, the Oregon SMART Award and the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. Born in Winnipeg, Linda has now traveled around the world, and so have her books. She has two grown daughters, Lia and Tess, and lives in Vancouver within strolling distance of the sea.