Given the title and the cover art, I was expecting a more humorous story. While I can appreciate using a story to teach, I didn't find the plot particularly enjoyable or believable.

I'm so glad to know this is going to be an ongoing series because I adored this book. Written as diary entries by Thomas, our bored and looking-for-adventure stowaway, the story is both humorous and exciting-and filled with historical facts. Thomas learns some valuable life-lessons along the way, one being that pirate life isn't as romantic and grand as he had imagined. The artwork is excellent and suits the nature of the story.

I'm so glad to know this is going to be an ongoing series because I adored this book. Written as diary entries by Thomas, our bored and looking-for-adventure stowaway, the story is both humorous and exciting-and filled with historical facts. Thomas learns some valuable life-lessons along the way, one being that pirate life isn't as romantic and grand as he had imagined. The artwork is excellent and suits the nature of the story.

I chose to read this book because the title sounded like fun. Clearly, my method for picking books is very scientific. Turns out I was right, this is a fun read. The story is great, the illustrations are great, and the historical facts about pirates ties everything together.

This book shows kids that sometimes, what you think you want is not as great as you thought it would be. Without having all of the facts, you could end up making a decision that you regret.

The young main character dreams of being a pirate, thinking he knows all about them, and will have grand adventures. Once he gets his wish, he finds out that the image he had in his head and reality, are not on the same page. As he starts to discover what being a pirate is really all about, he starts wishing he had never dreamed of an exciting pirate life, and starts wishing for the life he would have had.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Author: Tim Collins
Publisher: North Star Editions Jolly Fish Press
Publication Date: 19 Sep 2017

This book was charming, to say the least.

Written in the form of a diary, it is about a young boy who is traveling on a ship that gets seized by pirates. Seeing this as a way to escape his dull, adventureless life, Thomas stows away and is eventually accepted on as one of the pirate crew. But life as a pirate was not as fun and adventurous as he might have thought.

Filled with "Get Real" facts (sidebars that provide historical context for pirateering), this book was silly, exciting, and endearing.

Tom is a luckless young man, separated from his family at sea and casting his lot with a band of pirates. However, pirate life is not all yo-ho-ho and bottles of rum. Told in diary format, Tom shows how mundane life on the open sea can be and how quickly a pirate's luck can change from bad to worse. Interspersed with "Get Real" sidebar information that provides historical definition to terms and tools, this book was a fun read told from an interesting perspective.

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate is the second book in the Long-Lost Secret Diary series for children written by Tim Collins and illustrated by Sarah Horne. This illustrated chapter book is currently scheduled for release on September 19 2017. You do not need to read the entire series, or the books in order, to enjoy the stories.

Meet Thomas, a young man sailing with his parents aboard a merchant ship in the 18th century. He is prone to daydreaming about living an exciting life as a pirate on the high seas. When a pirate crew led by Captain Bartholomew Morgan takes over the ship, Thomas stows away and is accepted into their motley gang. However, life as a pirate proves far less romantic than what he was expecting. The hilarious Long Lost Secret Diary series put readers inside the heads of hapless figures from history struggling to carry out their roles and getting things horribly wrong. The accessible, irreverent stories will keep young readers laughing as they learn the importance of not being afraid to learn from one’s mistakes.

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate is a good combination of historical information, adventure, and humor that will keep young readers interested and entertained. Thomas, like most people, is certain that any life different than his own is more interesting and exciting. Danger and the less pleasant aspects of life do not always make an impact until they are felt or witnessed. This is certainly the case for Thomas, who initially has trouble acknowledging or even recognizing the significance of his mistakes or choices slowly comes to see that e can learn from them. The stories are sometimes exciting, sometimes silly, and always entertaining. I think the equally entertaining illustrations and humor will keep readers happily reading, and teach them a little something about history and responsibility along the way.

With the rawness of the sea, this book attacks the life of pirates and adventure but with a tidal wave of reality which has romantic idealism walking the plank.

Thomas is sailing across the sea with his parents to their new home, but the merchant ship is not nearly as exciting as a pirate ship would be. When Thomas spots a ship on the horizon, the adventure begins. Convinced the pirate life is the life for him, Thomas manages to become part of the crew, but soon he learns that pirating isn't nearly as neat as he thought it'd be.

Written in diary style, Thomas recounts his adventure of entering pirate life, not the life portrayed in myth and fantasy, but a harsh, more historical version. Thomas isn't a hero, and he isn't overly coordinated or intelligent. He's just a kid, who has to somehow make it through one of the biggest mistakes he could ever make. His reactions are hilarious, his decisions sometimes faulty, but he has determination and learns his lesson well.

For readers interested in the history of pirates, this book is a chest of gold. The situation, events and surroundings are not romanticized but hit with a dose of daily life...the kind that isn't easy or grand. Thomas faces true troubles and pirates who really aren't secretly moral or friendly. Some things are funny, others are simply harsh (such as an amputation with a saw). As an extra bonus, there are information breaks, which explain real historical facts along the way. All of this is rolled into a quirky adventure, which keeps the story rolling, and a character whose mishaps guarantee chuckles despite the more serious aspects. The book, however, is not written in a historical style, but the narration and characters keep the modern day vocabulary and style, making it an easy read for kids.

While the diary style lets the true life come through clearly and lets the humor shine, it is very narrative and leaves Thomas at arm's length. The tale lacks the personal touch, making it hard to slide into Thomas's shoes and truly worry about him. His lack of concern for his family is also surprising. Not only is Thomas a little flat, but the narrative form, especially in the first chapters, doesn't pull into the action as much as it could. Still, kids who love pirates are sure to enjoy this read. The information is rich and the added humor make it easy to digest. The modern writing style is actually an extra bonus and insures that even more reluctant reading pirate fans will happily dive into these pages.

Review of ‘The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Pirate’

AUGUST 12, 2017 ~ KNVANAND ~ EDIT "REVIEW OF ‘THE LONG-LOST SECRET DIARY OF THE WORLD’S WORST PIRATE’"
Rating: 5/5

What a ridiculously cute story!

While clearly meant for children, the book barely detracted from my enjoyment. Besides, it deals with some adult themes.

Long story short, the protagonist of the story is a wildly imaginative boy called Thomas, who’s aboard a ship headed for the Caribbean where his father was posted as a governor.

Thomas has fantasies of becoming a dreaded pirate on the high seas and so, when pirates capture their ship, he hides in the ship to become a part of their crew.

He realizes the life of a pirate is not as glamorous as he thought, and through twists and turns, he gets back home.

The story is delightfully told, and is rib-tickling in tone.

I loved it.

A fun story about Thomas who stows away with pirates when his parent's ship is captured. It's told in adorable diary entries where he talks about his fantastical experiences on the ship. Thomas is a very reluctant pirate with fantastical ideas. The voice of Thomas is perfect for the intended audience. The pirates were diverse racially and there was a female pirate. Throughout the book you get little facts about pirates and at the end there is a glossary and a history timeline. I will be recommending this book to parents who have children interested in pirates.

Books written in a diary format have always been intriguing to me. A diary is where a person (or a character) pours their heart out and reveals their darkest secrets.

At the first glance, no dark secrets are revealed in the long-lost diary of the world's worst Pirate, i.e. Thomas. He writes about his parents pestering him, the boredom he is confined to during their journey to his father's new workplace, and his strive to become a plundering pirate. In an ominous event that proves the truth behind the words be careful what you wish for, he is separated from his parents and left to fend for himself on a ship newly overtaken by pirates.

Except the tone is not ominous, and he willingly stays on the said ship, barely sparing a thought for his parents, which is a trend that continues through-out the book. The essence of his character disabled me from relating to him, although he does show some improvement by the end.

What I liked the most were the Get Real segments inserted occasionally between the diary entries, for they offered valuable information and real facts about the life of a pirate. Also, the last 10 or so pages of the book are dedicated to a brief history of privateers, a timeline, and short biographies of most famous pirates.

The illustrations in the book are simple and charming, and the novel isn't very long, but rather enjoyable.

The review will also be posted on my blog Binge Reading Weekends, on August 5th, 2017.

Thomas is a young man traveling by merchant vessel with his parents in the 18th century. They are traveling to one of the Carribbean Islands where his father is to be the new Govenor. But Thomas does not want the aristocratic life of a politician's son. Instead, he fantasizes about being a pirate, singing bawdy songs, hunting for treasure, and living in total freedom.

When real pirates sieze their ship and force everyone to transfer to the sinking pirate ship, Thomas decides that this is his chance to be a pirate and hides down in the cargo hold instead of going with his parents. After he is discovered, the Captain decides to let him join their crew, and Thomas discovers that the pirate life is not at all like his romanticized fantasy!

This is a story told in the diary style that has been popular with middle-grade readers every since Diary of a Wimpy Kid came out. It is a quick and easy read, and is fairly entertaining, though the language and writing style sound very modern, rather than true to the 18th century setting. While I found that to be an annoyance, I don't think the intended audience would be bothered by it.

I did like that it portrayed pirate life to be hard, full of violence, and often meeting a gruesome death (but in an age-appropriate way), rather than overly romanticized as fun and adventurous. I also liked that there is a snippets of factual information interspersed throughout the book, and then a great deal more factual and historical information about pirates at the end of othe book, as well as a glossary.

I would recommend this for ages 8 to 12, and for readers who enjoy diary-style novels as well as those who are interested in pirate stories, and anyone looking for a quick and easy, somewhat light-hearted read with a little adventure.

I like the facts that were peppered into the story.
The main character isn't very likeable, thought the story would be a fun read for kids interested in pirates.

UGH, this story was adorable!
The beginning started out very Pirates of the Caribbean-ey-ish (I know that's not a word)
A cute tale full of twists and turns! A young boy finds his boat being taken over by Pirates. Eager for a more exciting life, he hides away in the boat until he is found by one of them. From there, he attempts to try and participate in the activities on board, which don't fare so well for him.
In the end, the crew ends up being captured and he attempts and succeeds a daring escape with his newly found pirate friend Georgie. A great ending!

I love the writing style, the book flowed really well and was humorous. The characters were fun and I especially loved the little facts added in here and there that went into depth about traditional pirates actions. Even as an adult, I was able to learn some new things!
So pleased with this book!

An Intriguing and Unique Tone

Hapless. Our hero is hapless, and as I read this I realized that almost no one writes children's books that combine silly fantasy with realistic behavior. Allow me to explain.

The setup is straightforward. When young Tom's ship is attacked by pirates everyone is taken from the ship and set adrift. Except for Tom, who hides in the cargo bay, and ends up sailing with the pirates who have taken over the ship. When he's discovered, Tom signs on as a new member of the pirate crew and resolves to live out his dreams of searching for pirate treasure and plunder. Now, this setup could lend itself to very funny hijinks, or a ripping adventure tale, (think "Treasure Island"), or a cartoony sort of fantasy adventure, or something similar that you've probably read before.

But, at every turn we get a twist, a surprise, and an unexpected tone. Tom isn't terribly upset to be separated from his parents and seems rather indifferent to their fates. Tom has no problem signing on with the pirates, although he's rather disappointed in how normal and sort of boring they are. He tries his hand at various pirate skills, (setting sail, working the cannon, carpenter's mate), and isn't very good at much of anything. He's a poor plunderer and not much at fighting. At every step we have an odd collision of the fiction/fantasy plot and the practical problems a kid would have if the plot were actually really happening. And we keep switching back and forth between funsy pirate plotting and reality, (Tom holds the bucket to catch the fractured foot that the carpenter saws off of an injured crew member).

So, you end up with an unusual middle view - it's as though you took an adult pirate adventure and wrote it down and sillied it up a bit to be told through the eyes of a kid, or you took a silly kid fantasy and wrote it up and added a dose of realism. (The "Get Real" factoid boxes that elaborate on the historical accuracy of the action enhances that funny/real whipsaw effect).

Our narrator is Tom, who is writing about his experiences in his diary. He's sort of deadpan, but often his tone changes from carefree and childish to serious and perceptive, so again we get that same sort of whipsaw effect. He messes up a lot, but he's game and he learns from his errors, so you end up with a weirdly appealing mashup of a Dahl/Walliams/Dickens/Stevenson hero.

My sense of this book was all over the place, but I finally came down on the plus side mostly because of its fresh, unusual and idiosyncratic approach. I could see a young reader with an adventurous taste in styles getting into this book, (and the other Collins books), and it might be just the thing to grab the attention of a reader who wavers between fiction and non-fiction. A really interesting find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This well illustrated book will certainly appeal to a young audience. It is a cleverly crafted look at the hardships sailors endured in the time of sailing merchant ships. Told through the eyes of Thomas, a youngster who is so sure that the life of a pirate is the best thing ever, that is until he becomes one. There is a great glossary and lots of sailing terms thrown around “Avast ye” “Heave to” “Shiver me timbers”! Lessons to be taught and to be learned and Thomas is always in the middle of everything.

The problem I had with this book is when you put aside the humor; many of the choices Thomas makes are neither admirable nor commendable.

Thank you NetGalley and Jolly Fish Press for an ARC.

A lot of fun, packed with action, adventure, and a host of memorable characters

This is a good, fairly easy to read book. It has the adventure of a pirate story, but is much more realistic about what a real pirate was like. It also has a lot of information about the reality of pirates in sidebars. But it still manages to be fun.