• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

A shy boy comes to life and finds his voice when the ghosts of seven dead pirates appear in his bedroom. A humorous, inspiring, critically acclaimed adventure!

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 a écrit près de quarante livres pour enfants. Ses livres ont été traduits en vingt langues et ont remporté de nombreux prix tels que le prix Ontario Blue Spruce et le prix Silver Birch, la médaille California Young Reader, le prix Georgia Children’s Picture Book et le prix UK School Library Association Information Book. Linda a reçu le prix Vicky Metcalf pour l’ensemble de son œuvre exceptionnelle dans le domaine de la littérature jeunesse. Elle vit à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique, où elle a vécu des soirées pyjama extraordinaires avec ses petits-enfants.

LINDA BAILEY has written nearly forty books for children. Her books have been translated into twenty languages and have won multiple awards such as the Ontario Blue Spruce and Silver Birch Awards, the California Young Reader Medal, the Georgia Children’s Picture Book Award, and the UK School Library Association Information Book Award. Linda has been honored for her exceptional body of work in children’s literature with the Vicky Metcalf Award. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia where she has had some stupendous sleepovers with her grandchildren.

Linda Bailey's profile page

• Nominated, Chocolate Lily Award
• Long-listed, Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award
• Nominated, Rocky Mountain Book Award
• Nominated, New Hampshire Great Stone Face Children's Book Award
• Short-listed, Red Cedar Book Award
• Short-listed, Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize
• Nominated, Silver Birch Award for Fiction
• Long-listed, Maine Student Book Award
• Short-listed, Diamond Willow Award
• Nominated, Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
• Long-listed, OLA Best Bets for Children's Fiction
• Short-listed, Canadian Library Association - Book of the Year for Children

“Bailey endows Lewis with several scene-stealing allies (notably a fierce kindergartener) and leaves him confidently steering a course toward calm waters. Piratical fun well-stocked with colorful cast members living and arrghh.” - Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“This rollicking tale moves apace with a vivid setting, surprising depth, great humor, and memorable characters. Readers will root for Lewis as he finds his sea legs and the courage to make friends, both spectral and human. VERDICT Ahoy, ye maties: don’t miss this treasure of a middle grade yarn.” - Starred Review, School Library Journal
“It is Bailey’s extraordinary skill as a storyteller that keeps the entire fantastical premise, and its meaningful undercurrent, from ever straying into the unbelievable. Seven Dead Pirates is a story that flows almost like magic .... At times earnest, at times playful, and always infused with the power of imagination, Seven Dead Pirates is a rollicking and exciting story that will entertain and enlighten in equal amounts.” - CM Magazine
“The larger-than-life (afterlife?) pirates are the perfect foil to introverted Lewis. Bailey paints them with broad strokes, but her caricatures are filled with a whole lotta heart. It’s unlikely that every shy kid will have seven dead pirates at their disposal to teach them how to believe in themselves, but they can have Bailey’s book, which is a pretty nice alternative.” - National Post
“…I enjoyed this story right from the start…one of the best openings I have read in a long time…Lewis tackles his problems and wins my affection as a true hero moving on his journey... I give this story a five out of possible five.”
- Midwest Book Review