Pirates and Shipwrecks: Mystery and Mayhem    by Tom McCarthy Order:  USA  Can Nomad, 2016 (2016) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch Another selection in the Mystery & Mayhem series of narrative nonfiction for readers nine years of age and older this collection offers five true stories that center on adventures associated with the high seas, encounters with pirates and memorable shipwrecks. The reader will be introduced to the ill fated voyages of Daniel Collins, who was shipwrecked on the Cuban coast; and the 1845 expedition to the Canadian Arctic of Captain Sir John Franklin, who sailed off in search of the Northwest Passage, but never returned to his native England. Along with learning about the pirate Barbarossa (who terrorized the Mediterranean in the early 1500s), the stories of two female pirates (Mary Reed and Anne Bonny, who were members of Calico Jack Rackham's crew) will be shared, as will the fate of the crew and passengers of two ships which ended up stranded at the same time on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Each entry includes a helpful map that pinpoints where the true story unfolds, plus an interesting time line that indicates what other events happened during the same general time period. For example, in 1845 when Captain Franklin set sail with his crew of 128 sailors on board his ship the Erebus, Edgar Allen Poe published his famous poem, The Raven, and Florida and Texas were admitted to the union of American states. This collection of high interest, action nonfiction will appear to youngsters who may be reluctant to pick up a book to read for pleasure. The chapters are certainly manageable in terms of length and the simple sentence structure won't create any roadblocks when it comes to following the stories of these interesting individuals. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews