Gr 4-6--Recently orphaned Buddy Stebbins, 12, is in the care of his sister, Liz, a young attorney. Faced with the prospect of selling the family home to pay off their parents' debts, Buddy calls on an ancestor, Captain Crackstone, rumored to be a pirate, for assistance. In response, a plea for help from the 17th century arrives from another descendant, Abigail Parsons, who is about to be tried for witchcraft at age 10. Independently, Buddy and Liz find their ways back to 1692 Massachussets to join forces with their forebears. This rollicking time-travel adventure requires a willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the characters as well as readers. Thrust into scenes of piracy and witchcraft hysteria respectively, Buddy and Liz experience the most dramatic and fascinating aspects of life at that time. Fleischman's characteristic flair for compelling action, lively dialogue, authentic details, and humorous elements are all present here, resulting in a thoroughly entertaining page turner. However, Buddy's 20th-century mannerisms and dress, including glow-in-the-dark shoelaces, are almost uniformly accepted after his initial appearance. Liz, for all her cleverness, foolishly refers to upcoming events in Salem, which casts suspicion of witchcraft upon her. Still, the rambunctious events aboard the ship and the tension of the trial will engage readers. The tidy ending is satisfying, containing enough irony to avoid predictability. An author's note eloquently and articulately explains the historical context of the setting.--Starr LaTronica, Berkeley Public Library, CA