The Time Pirate: A Nick McIver Time Adventure

Bell, Ted

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St. Martin's Press

Annotation: Unwilling to let the Germans occupy his islands unopposed, young Nick learns to fly and takes to the skies in a restored World War I fighter plane, photographing German patrol boats by day and flying by night.

Genre: [Adventure fiction] [Fantasy fiction]

Reviews: 5

Catalog Number: #41110

Format: Perma-Bound Edition

Special Formats: Inventory Sale

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Edition Date: 2010 Release Date: 04/12/11

Pages: 454 pages

ISBN: Publisher: 0-312-66549-0 Perma-Bound: 0-605-41027-5

ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-312-66549-4 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-41027-5

Dewey: Fic

LCCN: 2009040015

Dimensions: 21 cm.

Subject Heading:
Boys. Channel Islands. Fiction.
World War, 1939-1945. Channel Islands. Fiction.
Pirates. Fiction.
Kidnapping. Fiction.
Rescues. Fiction.
Time travel. Fiction.
Jamaica. Fiction.
Caribbean Area. Fiction.

Language: English

Reviews:

Voice of Youth Advocates

The hero of the Nick McIver Adventures Through Time series is back. Twelve-year-old Nick lives on Greybeard Island, the tiniest of the British Channel Islands. The story picks up soon after Nick of Time (St. MartinÆs Griffin, 2008/VOYA June 2008), during the summer of 1940. World War II is underway, France has fallen, and England is bracing for invasion. Nick and his friend Gunner refurbish NickÆs fatherÆs World War I fighter plane. Nick learns to fly and undertakes an incredibly risky bombing raid on the Nazi Guernsey Island airfield. Meanwhile his younger sister Kate is kidnapped by the pirate Billy Blood and taken back to 1781 Port Royal, Jamaica. Archrivals Blood and Nick are in possession of the only two time travel machines, Leonardo da VinciÆs Tempus Machina. While rescuing Kate, Nick learns of BloodÆs plan to attack a French fleet on its way to Yorktown to prevent the retreat of General Cornwallis. If Blood succeeds, the Battle of Yorktown will be lost, the Revolutionary War will be lost, and America will never exist. Without help from America, England will lose World War II. This adrenaline-rich story emphasizes courage, duty, and heroism. Nick relishes every chance for adventure, and readers will happily follow him into battle and his encounters with George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Winston Churchill. It is not a perfect novel, marred by a dull introduction, repetitiveness, and occasionally suspect manipulation of the logic of time travel. Thrilled fans will not care in the least.ùAngela Carstensen.

ALA Booklist

Bell continues the heavily promoted Nick McIver Adventures through Time series with this sequel to Nick of Time (2008), that begins in 1940. As the Channel Islands brace for the coming German invasion, 12-year-old Nick's sister is kidnapped by a time-traveling pirate, and Nick's pursuit turns the plot back to colonial America, where the Revolutionary War is brewing. Readers will need to check their plausibility meter from the start of this rip-roaring time-warp tale. An unnecessary prologue, confusing dream scenes, and excessive nautical details may deter some, but the breakneck pacing and wild plot will keep readers hanging on to the end.

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Nick eludes the Nazis after his biplane sinks in the English Channel. Using his time machine to travel back almost two hundred years, he rescues his sister from spiteful pirate Billy Blood; in doing so, he becomes a traitor in the past in order to help England in the future. A swashbuckling, adrenaline-fueled sequel to Nick of Time.

Kirkus Reviews

Laboriously harking back to the pulp juveniles of yestercentury—or at least their melodramatic plotting and uncomplicated values—Bell presents the continued exploits of intrepid teen Nick McIver, boy time traveler. Bound and determined to become a hero "molded in the face of danger," Nick stages a destructive raid on a Nazi airfield in 1940, then darts back to 1781 to rescue his kidnapped little sister from the clutches of hook-handed pirate Billy Blood in the Caribbean, recover from wounds at Mount Vernon ("What's wrong wid dat po' chile?" asks the estate's Cook, before stitching him up sans anesthetic) then rescuing De Grasse's French fleet from ambush off Nassau so it can sail north to ensure General Washington's victory at Yorktown. Laced with old-timey language, wild coincidences, arbitrarily trotted-out bit players from the Marquis de Lafayette and Winston Churchill to the odd strumpet or Indian warrior, lurid murders ("The dying victims' blood mingled with the juice from hundreds of crates of tomatoes") and explosions aplenty, this doorstopper sequel to Nick of Time (2008) may have a certain retro appeal to adrenaline junkies. (Fantasy. 11-13)

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 5-8 This installment in the series finds 12-year-old Nick once again saving the world on several fronts. It's 1939, and he must defend his home, a small British island, against the looming Nazi invasion. But the Nazis are not his only enemies; using a time-travel device invented by da Vinci, he also battles 18th-century pirates who've kidnapped his sister. In a further wrinkle, the pirates, who are equipped with a time-travel device of their own, threaten to change the outcome of the American Revolution. Nick feels compelled to help General Washington and his troops, even though doing so makes him a traitor, because he knows that the support of the United States will become crucial to the Allies in World War II. Swashbuckling action sequences and scenes of derring-do abound. However, hackneyed language detracts from the action, and clichéd stereotypes of Native Americans and African-American slaves make this title seem out of place in contemporary children's literature. Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Voice of Youth Advocates
ALA Booklist
Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Word Count: 115,570

Reading Level: 6.1

Interest Level: 5-9

Accelerated Reader: reading level: 6.1 / points: 19.0 / quiz: 136859 / grade: Middle Grades+

Reading Counts!: reading level:6.4 / points:27.0 / quiz:Q49634

Lexile: 920L

Guided Reading Level: J

Fountas & Pinnell: J

Chapter 1

PENNYWHISTLE PARK

· Greybeard Island, 1940 ·

A dreamlike night, Nick McIver felt, pulling up the soaking sheepskin collar on his father’s leather bomber jacket. A cold, wet wind swept mist in from the dark and restless sea as he made his way along the coast road that defined the small coastal town of Pennywhistle.

The multicolored lights at Pennywhistle Park, a tiny amusement center, were shrouded in ghostly haloes. The lights of the park’s rides looked, the boy thought, the way a Christmas tree looked when you squinted your eyes, peeking at it one last time before sleepily climbing the stairs on Christmas Eve.

Strolling the empty streets, young Nicholas McIver vaguely recognized the town. His mother had a sister who lived in a village that very much resembled this one, but he’d visited only once, years earlier, and he was a bit foggy on the details.

He did recall that Pennywhistle Park was located on a rocky point sticking out into the sea. It was nearly deserted at this hour, he saw, passing under the lighted entrance. The sun was long down, and the night was growing cold. Most children were home having supper or climbing into their warm beds. Why wasn’t he?

He couldn’t say, really, but here he was.

The Ferris wheel, his original destination, came to a creaky stop, and a few strangely silent children climbed out of the cars and rushed into their parents’ arms, all of them soon disappearing into the mist. Now, it seemed as if he had the entire park to himself. He stepped up to the ticket window. The ticket-taker, with his green eyeshade, looked an awful lot like Nick’s best friend in the world, a man named Gunner. A dead-ringer, as his dad would say, down to his full white beard and gold-rimmed glasses!

“Sorry, son, park’s shutting down for the night,” the bearded man said when the lad approached, his money tightly clenched in his fist.

“Are all the rides closed, sir?” Nick asked, marveling at the man’s voice. He even sounded like Gunner!

“Well, there is one ride still open, lad. The Whirl-O-Drome.”

“The spinning airplanes, do you mean? That’s the one I’ve come for, sir.”

“Not just any old airplanes, son, but miniature Spitfires. Supermarines, just like the real thing our boys will be flying when the shooting war with Germany begins. Only without the working engines and machine guns, of course.” The man laughed.

“Which way is the Whirl-O-Drome, sir?”

“Farthest ride out there. Follow the midway here all the way to the end of the point. See that big flashing red propeller sign spinning round out there? Bit foggy to make out, but there she is, all right. Still catch a ride, looks like, if you hurry.”

“Thank you very much, sir. If I can’t ride the Ferris wheel, that looks like a good one.”

“Fancy yourself a pilot, do you?”

“Someday I will be one, sir. My father, you see, was a hero in the Great War. Shot down over the Ardennes, but he took more than a few German Fokkers with him. I plan to sign up with the Royal Flying Corps soon as I’m old enough. You can count on that!”

“Good lad. England will need thousands of brave boys like you before this coming war is over. I just heard over the wireless that German armies have marched into Belgium and Holland. And that Chamberlain has resigned, and Churchill is to be Prime Minister.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the great man, sir. And if anyone can bring us safely through this war, it is Winston Churchill.”

Nick McIver bade the man farewell and followed the darkened midway out to the Whirl-O-Drome. It was very windy and chilly. But he was wearing his father’s old leather flying jacket and leather helmet, and both gave him a good deal of warmth.

The ride was like a big wheel set on its side, with a slowly revolving beacon light at its hub and eight tiny silver Spitfire airplanes at the end of each spoke. He noticed that all the little planes were empty. As the great wheel turned, the propellers at the nose of each plane spun rapidly in the stiff breeze off the sea.

There was a kindly old man in the ticket booth, snow-white hair and big blue eyes, like a baby. He, too, reminded the boy of someone. His grandfather. Yes, he looked exactly like Nick’s grandfather! He smiled at Nick. This was indeed the strangest place—everyone here reminded him of someone else!

“Sir, may I have just one ride? I’m sure you’re closing down for the night, and I don’t want to be a bother.”

“This ride never closes, Nick. I keep it open all the time. Just for young boys like you.”

“But, but, sir, you called me ‘Nick.’ How on earth do you know my name?”

“Oh, I’ve seen you about, here and there. My name’s Captain Orion, but you just call me Cap’n. Want to be a pilot someday, don’t you, Nick? I’ve seen that look in a boy’s eyes before, y’know.”

“I’d do anything to become one, sir. My father, whose name is Angus, flew a Sopwith Camel with C Flight, Number 40 Squadron, the very same squadron as Mick Mannock, the famous ace who shot down sixty-one German planes.”

“Your dad was an ace, too, before he got shot down by Baron Manfred von Richtofen over the Ardennes forest. Lost the use of one of his legs, I believe. Walks with a cane.”

“That’s correct, sir. The Red Baron ended my father’s service to his country. But how on earth did you know about all this?”

“Why, Angus McIver is famous, too, Nick. A real hero.”

“Thank you, sir. He’d be pleased. Here’s my money. I’ll take five rides, please.”

“Your money’s no good on this ride. Future knights of the air like yerself ride the Whirl-O-Drome for free. Our patriotic duty, y’see. Step inside the gate here, and I’ll have you airborne before you know it.”

Cap’n Orion brought the spinning ride gradually to a stop, let Nick pick the Spitfire he wanted to fly (they were all identical save the big red numbers painted on the stubby wings) and then helped him climb up inside the bare metal cockpit. He’d chosen No. 7, his lucky number. The seat was like a small bucket with leather padding. It had a realistic-looking instrument panel, but when he reached out to touch it, he saw that the dials were all peeling and painted on wood.

“Does the joystick really work?” Nick asked, pulling back on it.

“Sure does. Pull back to bring her nose up; push forward and she’ll go into a dive.”

“What about these two pedals?” he asked, pushing them with his feet.

“Your rudder. She’ll change course a couple of feet left or right, depending on which pedal you push, Nick. You ready for takeoff, Captain?”

“I am, sir.”

“Let me go crank her up, then.”

Cap’n Orion disappeared back inside the ticket booth, and sure enough, the great wheel began to revolve, round and round. The sea mist made it seem like flying through clouds, and Nick quickly made use of the stick, climbing and diving, using the foot pedals to turn side-to-side.

Orion stepped outside to watch the boy.

“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Nick cried out through cupped hands as he whirled by.

The man gave him a thumbs-up and ran back inside the booth. Nick could see him through the window, turning a large wheel mounted on the wall.

Suddenly, the little Spitfire was going so fast Nick could hardly believe it. He was amazed the toy airplane didn’t just fly right off the end of the long pole. Everything was a blur. He had to pull the old leather goggles down over his eyes because his eyes were tearing up so badly.

He looked around. He could no longer see the dark town or Pennywhistle Park or even Cap’n Orion inside the ticket booth. It was a little frightening, but Nick supposed he’d better get used to real speed if he was ever going to fly a real Spitfire.

Then the strangest thing of all happened. The painted-on instruments on the wooden panel began to light up one by one. He leaned forward and looked at them, tapping his finger on the rev counter. The needles were spinning behind real glass! And his altimeter was working! His altitude was six feet. His speed, however, was almost sixty miles per hour and climbing! And now there were tiny red lights flashing out on his wingtips.

He heard a strange squawking noise behind the instrument panel and reached up under it to see what it was. There was a hook under there, and on it hung an old pair of headphones, just like the real ones his dad had brought home from the war. There were small ear-holes in his leather flying helmet, and he put the headphones on over it.

“Captain McIver! Captain McIver! This is Pennywhistle Control. Do you read me? Over.”

It sounded like Captain Orion, who sounded a lot like his grandfather.

“What’s going on?” Nick cried, “Is everything all right? Is the ride broken? I think it’s going too fast!”

“Roger, Captain, I read you loud and clear. Everything under control. You are cleared for takeoff, skipper.”

“Takeoff?”

“See that flashing red button on top of the joystick?”

“Yes, sir, I do,” he said, and suddenly there really was a flashing red button.

“Just push that button, skipper, and you’ll be on your merry way. Happy flying, sir!”

Push the button? On your way? Happy flying? Being a naturally curious boy, Nick McIver had no choice but to push the red button. What happened next took his breath away.

Excerpted fromThe Time Pirateby Ted Bell.
Copyright © 2010 by Ted Bell.
Published in April 2010 by St. Martin’s Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.

Excerpted from The Time Pirate by Ted Bell
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

A thrilling sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Nick of Time , in which the young time traveler Nick McIver must prove his courage once more, on two fronts: in World War Two-era England, where Nazis have invaded his homeland, and in America during the Revolution, where Nick stands shoulder to shoulder with General George Washington It's 1940 and the Nazis are invading Nick's beloved home, the British Channel Islands. So Nick takes to the skies: He has discovered an old World War One fighter plane in an abandoned barn. Determined to learn to fly, he is soon risking life and limb to photograph armed German minelayers and patrol boats, and executing incredibly perilous bombing raids over Nazi airfields by night. Meanwhile, the evil pirate, Captain Billy Blood, still desperate to acquire Nick's time machine, returns to Greybeard Island. He kidnaps Nick's sister, Kate, and transports her back to Port Royal, Jamaica, in the year 1781, leaving Nick a message that if he wants to see her alive again, he must come to Jamaica and make an even swap: Kate's life in exchange for Nick's wondrous time machine--that's Blood's bargain. Having traveled back in time, Nick discovers a plot that might change the outcome of the American Revolution. Disguised as an eighteenth-century cabin boy, he travels to the Caribbean and confronts his old enemy, who has assembled the world's largest pirate armada. From the battlefields of the New World to the brutal German occupation of English soil in World War Two, Ted Bell's The Time Pirate has Nick McIver fighting once again to defend his country, the outcome of two wars resting on his young shoulders.

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