Pirates On the Horizon!

September 16, 2010

Ahoy me hearties! Coming up in the near future is an interesting holiday: September 19, International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This holiday got its start when two men (Mark Summers and John Baur) were bored enough to follow their dream, a dream of talking like pirates. You may ask:  what does one do on Talk Like a Pirate Day (TLAP)? The quick answer: Arr, ye scurvy dog! Ye talk like a scallywag o’ the seven seas! G’harr!

Another thing to do is visit your local library! With the release of the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), its sequels Dead Man's Chest (2006), and At World's End (2007), pirates have been everywhere. A few books are: Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly, a serious look at historical pirates, Vampirates by Justin Somper, a swashbuckling young-adult fantasy series, and Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton, a piece of historical fiction detailing some cutthroat activities in 1665 Jamaica.  Children’s books haven’t jumped ship either. With titles like Pirates Don’t Change Diapers by Melinda Long and Three Pirates and you! by Lisa Vischer (Starring the Pirates That Don’t Do Anything), you can find a good selection to read to your crew!

If you are wanting to actively practice your pirate patois, why not throw a costume party? The library has resources to help you there as well, from the fashion section to cookbooks galore; you’ll get plenty of ideas to entertain your company of corsairs.

Remember! This is TALK like a pirate day, not ACT like a pirate day!  So no stealing, plunderin’ or pillagin’. But hoist the yard arm and ready the mainmast fer a voyage ta Zanzibar! Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Ethan C.
Raytown Branch