PIRATE ACADEMY

The close-knit members of Pirate Academy’s Year 5 Barracuda Class find friendships and fortitude tested in the second entry in this series that’s set in the 26th century.

The school’s Oceans Bound weekend is designed to test the 15 Barracudas’ “Bravery, Resilience, Observation, Navigation, Teamwork, and general Excellence.” The upcoming challenge is top of mind for Jasmine, Jacoby, Neo, Leif, Cosmo, Ocean, Fergus, Kazuo, Shay, Layla, Lewis, Carmen, Wing, Rose, and Ari—beginning with which students will be appointed captains and who they’ll invite as their crew. Neo, who was revealed to be the son of the famous pirate Captain Doll Darkwater, is haunted by nightmares of his mother’s death. Jacoby is learning to be a better friend, and Jasmine ruminates on her missing parents’ safety and is unsettled by an apparition of her traitorous uncle. Oceans Bound gets underway with deep diving and puzzle solving accompanied by the rallying cry, “Never underestimate a Barracuda!” The hazards are plentiful: snakes, venomous spiders, sharks, sword fights, and more. Everything unfolds at an intensity level that’s exciting but not too much for middle-grade readers to handle. The Barracudas admirably model lessons in friendship and self-reflection. Skaffa’s occasional full-page illustrations and spot art add to the enjoyment. Diversity of many kinds is casually present, painting a portrait of a world in which these differences are unremarkable. A recap of earlier events make this volume accessible to new fans.

Lively hijinks with brave pirates-in-training.