Review: Under the Black Flag by Erik Christian Haugaard

Under the Black Flag by Erik Christian Haugaard
Published in 1993
Genre: Adventure

Sailing from his home in Jamaica to England in order to finish his education. fourteen-tear-old William Bernard, the son of a plantation owner, is kidnapped by the infamous pirate Blackbeard and held for ransom. The pirate takes a liking to the boy, and soon William becomes cabin boy aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge.

After encounters with Spanish and English warships, Blackbeard joins up with another pirate ship under the command of Major Bonnet from Barbados. William soon befriends the major's fifteen-year-old slave, Sam, and the two boys plan to escape.

Review: Time Enough For Drums by Ann Rinaldi

Time Enough For Drums by Ann Rinaldi
Published in 1986
Genres: Romance, Adventure

Sixteen-year-old Jem struggles to maintain the status quo at home in Trenton, New Jersey, when the family men join the war for independence.

There are signs of rebellion in the Emerson household several years before the actual American Revolution hits in 1776! Brought up in a relatively liberal household, Jemima Emerson is quite a challenge for her tutor, John Reid, who is known as a Tory with strong ties to England. How could Jem's parents be friends with a man who opposes American freedom?