Magic Marks the Spot

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, Book 1

By: Caroline Carlson

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Audie Award Finalist, Children's Titles for Ages 8-12, 2014

Admiral Westfield sucked in his breath and released it in a tremendous gust. "My dear," he said, "let me be clear: You are a young lady. You will not tell silly tales and you will never be a pirate."

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for 37 minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors. She particularly enjoys defying authority, and she already owns a rather pointy sword. There's only one problem: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges and scallywags.

Girls belong at Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, learning to waltz, faint, and curtsy. But Hilary and her dearest friend, the gargoyle, have no use for such frivolous lessons - they are pirates! (Or very nearly.)

To escape from a life of petticoats and politeness, Hilary answers a curious advertisement for a pirate crew and suddenly finds herself swept up in a seafaring adventure that may or may not involve a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn't exist, a rogue governess who insists on propriety, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous - and unexpected - villain on the High Seas.

Will Hilary find the treasure in time? Will she become a true pirate after all? And what will become of the gargoyle?

©2013 Caroline Carslon (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Best Narrator Ever!

If you could sum up Magic Marks the Spot in three words, what would they be?

So much silliness!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Her gargoyle was a great addition; love the novelty of a traveling gargoyle.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Such a range of wonderfully unique and funny voice makes this story SO much better than when read in the book. Crazy, silly, funny characters are completely experienced when K.K. does them!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not required, you can stop and pick up later without losing out on the enjoyment.

Any additional comments?

Thank you for two of my favorites in one book: Magic and Pirates!

Loved it!

This was such a fun start to a fun trilogy! I haven't seen more since the third installment, but I really loved the world-building going on in this book and the subsequent ones. I love Katherine Kellgren and searching narrations by her is how I found this book as well. She's just so versatile and can stay in character so well! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves magical worlds, strong female characters, and generally light material! It's a young adult book, but I loved it anyway (and I tend to try to stay away from young adult because they're often too full of teenage drama).

Best kid's audiobook I've found so far!

Any additional comments?

Imaginative storyline, excellent writing, and phenomenal performance! Not only will your kids love it, but you won't be able to help but smile when you hear the voices and accents of the Pirate Narrator, Claire, or Miss Pimm.

A hit with the 6 year old crowd

The whole family enjoyed this one. A swashbuckling girl was a likable, mostly capable main character and while there was some mean girl attitudes toward the finishing school set, those characters' behaviors earned it. The action was a little much for my 4 year old with phrases like threatening to "run them through" but it was not graphic and even implied that walking the plank resulted in swimming to a nearby boat. Lots of twists and turns and ample jumping off points for discussion about prejudices, chosing friends based on their positive personality traits, and fairness. I will keep this one in the library for my younger two down the line.

Fun listening experience for the whole family.

A refreshing story. Finally there is a book about a girl who wants to be a pirate, not a princess or just to be pretty. Characters are all very interesting. This is a book full of excitement, fun, and humor. The narrator does a fantastic job. She is very enjoyable to listen to and she can do a wide range of different voices. This would be a perfect audiobook for a family road trip!

Hilarious

I listen to a lot of audiobooks with my kid, and we LOVE this series. I have laughed out loud frequently and look forward to listening to hear more. My son actually talks back to the book. So funny and fun.

Second time and didn’t disappoint

This story is enthralling for all ages and performed so well. We listened to it a second time and loved it even more than the first time.

Very captivating story for both parent and child.

Thus was the first audio book that my seven year old daughter has listened too. It was a bit hard in the beginning, but after wrapping our heads around the characters she loved it! We definitely have to listen to this book again the the future.

For the young at heart as well as younger people

I like to read (now also listen) to all types of books and I truly enjoy being entertained as I was with this book. It’s lighthearted and interesting and I find I can set the timer and fall asleep nicely as well as truly listen when driving as well as when doing chores. Listening helps time fly and these characters are just that - characters, quirky and fun. The narrator has a great voice and I found myself calmer when listening to this book. I will start the next book later today. Thanks for a fun read!

I need more of the series

A great book for everyone who loves pirates and magic. I need the full series