Ahoy, Mateys!! Every September 19, we celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day. We have the ability to be creative and silly, while we talk like pirates. Some fun activities you can do on this day are dress up like a pirate, have a pirate themed fundraiser to support your favorite cause, or host a pirate party. If you feel like reading about pirates, that’s okay, too! The library has just what you need! Here are a few books to help you start talking like a pirate:

Pirate Books:

Born to be Hanged: the Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson

The year is 1680, in the heart of the Golden Age of Piracy, and more than three hundred daring, hardened pirates, a potent mix of low-life scallywags and a rare breed of gentlemen buccaneers, gather in a remote bay of modern-day Panama. The plan: to wreak havoc on the Panamanian coastline, raiding cities, mines, and merchant ships. The booty: the bright gleam of Spanish gold and the chance to become a legend.

Inspired by the intrepid adventures of pirate turned Jamaican governor, Captain Henry Morgan–yes, that Captain Morgan–the company sets out upon one of the greatest escapades in the history of piracy, crossing the jungle isthmus of the Darien, liberating a native princess, sacking the port of Panama City, and setting off a cascade of hysteria and panic as they maraud up and down the western coastline of South America. (Provided by Publisher)

Black Flags, Blue Waters: the Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin

Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the dramatic and surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age”–spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s–when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. Best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Through engrossing episodes of roguish glamour and extreme brutality, Dolin depicts the star pirates of this period, among them towering Blackbeard, ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Also brilliantly detailed are the pirates’ manifold enemies, including colonial governor John Winthrop, evangelist Cotton Mather, and young Benjamin Franklin. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Dolin provides this wholly original account of the seafaring outlaws whose raids reflect the precarious nature of American colonial life. (Provided by Publisher)

Some history behind International Talk Like a Pirate Day:

  • The concept was born in 1995 when two friends in Oregon were playing a game of racquetball, John Baur (aka: Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (aka: Cap’n Slappy).
  • Talking like a pirate grew globally in 2002, when Dave Berry wrote about it in a Miami Herald humor column.
  • Many countries all around the globe celebrate this day each year by letting loose, having fun, and embracing their inner buccaneer!

Weigh anchor, mateys! Happy reading!