Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle?!

Caroline Carlson’s funny tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society.

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, 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.

But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn’t exist, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous—and unexpected—villain on the High Seas.

Written with uproarious wit and an inviting storyteller tone, the first book in Caroline Carlson’s quirky seafaring series is a piratical tale like no other.

What happens when a girl who belongs on a pirate ship ends up at a stuffy finishing school?

• A Girl Who Won’t Quit: Hilary Westfield dreams of being a pirate, but the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates has one big rule: No girls allowed.
• A Sarcastic Stone Sidekick: To escape a life of politeness, she’ll need the help of her best friend—a talking gargoyle who has strong opinions on everything from fashion to finishing schools.
• An Unlikely Pirate Crew: Her quest for adventure leads to a madcap quest with a freelance pirate captain and his misfit crew to find a treasure that may not even exist.
• Laugh-Out-Loud Adventure: A funny, swashbuckling series starter perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and The Mysterious Benedict Society.