While conducting a tour of the "landlubbers' world" for a bus load of sea creatures, Pirate intercepts school-bound siblings Billy and Heidi and enlists their aid in recovering his hijacked ship from a troupe of mischievous monkey-crabs.

Finally, a book to help educators promote sure-fire reading pleasers to boy readers in grades 3–12! Scary, Gross, and Enlightening: Books for Boys Grades 3-12 is the helpful new reference handbook for educators looking for just the right books to captivate the imaginations of boys in a way that makes reading fun as well as effective. In chapters than span the full range of categories and genres, Scary, Gross, and Enlightening surveys the latest and greatest titles aimed at boys in the primary and secondary grades, including nonfiction, graphic novels, mystery and adventure, sports, sci-fi and fantasy, humor, history, books that were made into movies, read-aloud titles, and classic works that have stood the test of time. Each chapter suggests a number of appropriate and delightful titles on a specific theme and includes listings of corresponding websites, reproducible lessons, and activities. The book also provides lists of professional titles to support each chapter's theme, as well as research-based strategies for teaching with the suggested books.

Eisen Teo is a senior history researcher and docent with a Singapore-based heritage consultancy. He graduated with a first class honours in History from the National University of Singapore. He spends his free time researching on Singapore history, transport, and urban issues, and exploring the concrete jungle that is Singapore

Kirkus Reviews included in their "9 Great Back to School Book List" Yo ho ho! It's the first day of kindergarten. Just imagine all the fun things to learn and experience! And who better than a pirate captain to drive the bus to school? He's ready to share all the rules one needs to know to ride the bus and to get along with mates at school. But with the anticipation of the first day of school there also comes a bit of anxiety. And it turns out that being a big, blustery pirate captain is no guarantee against feeling insecure and a little frightened in strange and uncomfortable situations. Who can help a rough and tough pirate captain get over his fears and back to driving the school bus? Using humor and pirate-speak, Kindergarrrten Bus addresses some of the concerns and anxiety that many children feel on their first day of school or at the start of any new undertaking.

The 1930s in Ireland is often thought of as a bleak period of economic stagnation and unemployment. But 1932, hailed by the Irish Press as a 'new era', was an early glimmer of the modernity and success Ireland would later reach: a sequence of events and achievements that included technological advances in travel, agriculture, home appliances and entertainment; Olympic gold medals and the meteoric rise of boxing phenomenon Jack Doyle; a spectacular Eucharistic Congress; sweepstakes and a so called gold rush; as well as the election of Éamon de Valera and transformations in politics and culture. The soundtrack scoring all this change was the jazz craze, which landed in Ireland in the early 1930s and flourished throughout the country, loosening the conservative social and moral order of the time. Jazz brought new forms of dress, lifestyle and behaviour, exciting and exhilarating a younger generation for the future, while leaving an older generation wary of such rapid change. A Year of Glory and Gold is an energetic and exuberant biography of a bright year in Ireland's history, combining deep archival research with spirited storytelling by one of Ireland's best-loved social historians.