Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Blackbeard’s Last Fight
Illustrator: Leonard Everett Fisher
Historical Fiction Picture Book
For ages 7 to 10
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006 ISBN: 978-0374307806
Like so many people living in the colonies and sailing on the high seas, Jeremy Hobbs is very familiar with the name of Blackbeard. Surely everyone has heard about how the "rascal" blockaded Charleston harbor and would only leave when he was paid off by the people of the city. Governor Spotswood of Virginia is determined that Blackbeard's "nest of pirates" must be removed once and for all and he is secretly hiring Lieutenant Maynard to do the job. As the Lieutenant?s servant Jeremy knows exactly what is going on and is, in his own quiet way, a part of the whole extraordinary adventure which culminates in the capture of one of the most feared pirates of all time.
As they pursue the pirate Jeremy hears stories about Blackbeard which not only reaffirm that Blackbeard is indeed a man to be feared, but he also hears about how Blackbeard has the love and respect of many people, men and women both.
This gripping account of how Blackbeard was chased and how he was finally brought down will enthrall anyone who has an interest in the sea and in pirate lore. Seen through the eyes of a young boy, the whole adventure has a fantastical feel, for Jeremy and his fellow sailors are not just chasing a man, they are chasing a legend.
