• Age: 4 to 9
• Grade: p to 3
• Reading age: 7 to 8

Join Class 3 on a pirate adventure in their own classroom! An imaginative treasure hunting story unlike any other.
"Someone's at the window," said Alex. "Psssssst, open up!" The children gasped. It was a… pirate!

When teacher Ms. Bitsy leaves the classroom, Alex and his friends enjoy their freedom when suddenly there's a knock at the window! In comes Captain Calamity looking for treasure. With help from a treasure map, the class join the Captain in his hunt, they need to be quick because Pirate Bloodloss is looking too… But where could treasure be hiding in a classroom? What will Ms. Bitsy do when she finds a pirate in her school?
A fun picture book for children aged 3 – 6, this story will spark every reader’s imagination. The classroom setting makes this book perfect for school libraries and group storytimes. A must-read for fans of pirates and adventure lovers!

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Alison Donald now lives in the UK with her husband and three children. She is a writer and works as a pediatric occupational therapist, helping children with special needs reach their potential.

Alison Donald's profile page

Ben Whitehouse is an illustrator born and raised in Birmingham UK. He worked in the animation industry as a character designer, animator, and stop-motion puppet maker before entering the world of illustration.

Ben Whitehouse's profile page

"A clever lad leads his classmates and a pirate who crawls in through the window to troves of hidden treasure.

Heaps of gold coins do make a shiny stand-in for the 'treasures' more likely to be found in a classroom, but a yarn in which the good guy is signaled by a false disability and the bad guy by a real one belongs in Davy Jones' locker. Taking advantage of teacher Ms. Bitsy's momentary absence, Capt. Calamity—dressed with proper swash and buckle in the cartoon illustrations but only holding the requisite hook in his hand—arrives in search of a treasure in the classroom buried, he's been told, 'under the sea.' Fruitless ransacking ensues until at last young Alex, contemplating the alphabet pinned to the wall, realizes that the clue is actually 'under the C.' Indeed, pulling a lever beneath the letter opens a watery gulf under the floorboards, where the children (and their equally enthusiastic teacher) find a chest of gold coins. Better yet, after Ms. Bitsy sternly sends off bullying rival Pirate Bloodloss, a menacing figure with an actual peg leg, by threatening to tell his parents ('Argh! Not Mommy,' he whimpers), Alex has a further golden alphabetical insight: 'X always marks the spot!' If nothing else, the captain 'hooks' Ms. Bitsy, who's simpering, 'Call me Daphne' by the final scene. Alex and the grown-ups are white, but Whitehouse depicts the rest of the class with a mix of light and dark skin.

A lubberly outing, stereotypewise."—Kirkus Reviews

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