Magic Marks the Spot

Written by Caroline Carlson

Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

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 thirty-seven 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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 10, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062293411

Caroline Carlson

Caroline Carlson is the author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series and The World's Greatest Detective. She holds an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives with her family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You can visit her online at www.carolinecarlsonbooks.com.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After my last middle grade was such a terrible dud, I was a bit afraid to embark into these pirate-laden waters. What if I felt like they'd shivered the timbers of these books unfairly, robbing them of a better life for inferior content? Or stole away my precious time, better spent with other books? Thankfully, Caroline Carlson's pirates aren't such vicious fiends. They're quite honorable, as pirates go anyway, and entirely lovable. Magic Marks the Spot is pretty close to perfect for what I want from a light-hearted middle grade: humorous, populated by lively characters, and promoting the idea that both boys and girls are capable of the same sorts of things.Before I even got to page one, Magic Marks the Spot had already made me smile and snort. See, before the page numbers even start counting, there are several pages of letters, which set the tone for the rest of the novel. In fact, letters, documents, and snippets of books are woven brilliantly throughout the novel, a technique often used, but rarely done to quite so enjoyable effect.Hilary Westfield receives a letter congratulating her on her acceptance to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates' Piracy Apprenticeship Program and telling her that the program will change her from "a wide-eyed and innocent young man." Hilary writes back, informing them of her excitement and correcting them on a factual error: namely, she's a girl. The VNHLP writes back aghast and offended, forwarding her application on to Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, much to Hilary's disgust. In her final response to the VNHLP, she closes with this:"I assure you that I will walk the plank a thousand times, into cold and shark-infested waters, before I will attend Miss Pimm's. I remain, Hilary Westfield Really Quite Furious with You"From that moment on, I was in love with this book and its characters. Hilary is a fantastically sassy girl who refuses to let anyone, be they parent, headmistress or pirate, tell her what her gender means she can and cannot do. Magic Marks the Spot is so girl-positive and anti-stereotypes. Pirates can be friendly, girls can be pirates, boys can sew without it doing them a lick of harm, governesses can be sassy, and old ladies can be badasses. These are excellent lessons for the intended age group, and are conveyed in a totally non-preachy way.Though almost everyone she meets tells Hilary she cannot be a pirate because of her gender and social standing, she does not give up. She has a dream and will not let anyone stop her from getting there. Plus, she has a plucky gargoyle sidekick to help cheer her up when times get rough, like when she's forced to attend Mrs. Pimm's, which teaches courses like etiquette and fainting. Gargoyle is so completely precious, with his desire for ear scratches and dream of one day having a pirate hat.Hilary's governess, introduced as a rather drab, formidable figure, turns out to be wholly delightful as well. As soon as she ceases being Hilary's governess, she's able to open up to Hilary and truly be a friend. Eloise Greyson is a wonderful human being, and I totally support the ship of her with the pirate captain Jasper, Terror of the Southlands. He's basically the most lovable pirate after Captain Shakespeare from Stardust. Oh, and Charlie, his first made is adorably awkward, and I am waiting for some super cute middle grade romance to happen later.The one aspect that had me side-eyeing the book was how unaffected Hilary is to learn that her father is the bad guy. Yes, he's not been the most supportive parent ever, but she's sad for like five minutes and then is completely unaffected for the rest of the book. Admiral Westfield was not so terrible that a daughter wouldn't struggle to accept his villainy or be tempted to join up with him. Hilary's a strong girl, so I don't doubt that she would make the same choices, but I would have liked to see her feel more in response to what is a completely groundbreaking change for a child. Magic Marks the Spot kept me grinning and laughing the whole way through. There's situational humor, sarcasm everywhere, and silly puns. Basically, it's perfection for me and other people who have the sense of humor of a ten year old, like, say, actual ten year olds. I see this being a huge hit with the intended audience, but it's a delight for an older reader as well.

[mcelhra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

he Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot is the first book in the new middle grade series, Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates. The second book in the series is due out in September.I loved that the main character is a girl who wants to be a pirate. She tries hard to be very fearsome and doesn’t really have any feminine qualities. Hillary’s best friend Claire is feminine though so it’s a good balance. Because of that, this book will appeal to both boys and girls.This book is very funny for kids but also had some dry wit that probably only parents would get. So if you read this book with your child, you will be entertained as well. My favorite character was Hillary’s governess, Miss Greyson. The things she said made me smile. She’s very prim and proper and nicely tries to keep Hilary in line. But pirates aren’t prim and proper so she has a tough time.While this book doesn’t have any pictures, it does have drawings of letters and scrolls. Some of these are written in cursive so if your child can’t read cursive, you can help them with that.This was a very fun book to read and my nine-year son loved it as well.

[edgoldberg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever wondered what would happen when the Terror of the Southlands combines forces with a High Society Girl, her gargoyle and her Governess to sail the piratical high seas? Most probably not, but you’ll soon find out when you read The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates-Magic Marks the Spot (VNHLP), a debut novel by Caroline Carlson. And you know the penalty for not reading this book, matey? Ya’ll be walking the plank.Twleve year old Hilary wants to be a pirate, but the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates denied her internship application because girls cannot be pirates, regardless of their ability to tie knots and tread water for long periods of time. The daughter of Admiral James Westfield, the Admiral will hear none of this hogwash and sends Hilary off to Mrs. Pimm’s Finishing School for Delicate Ladies, to be taught how to curtsy and crochet and faint at a moment’s notice and waltz…not skills required by piracy (except maybe the waltzing…the foot work quite useful in sword fights). Hearing of an opening on the ship of Jasper Fletcher, the Terror of Southland, Hilary sneaks out of school and applies. Surprisingly, he takes her on board. However, we all know that young ladies must be chaparoned, especially when hobnobbing with scoundrels and rapscallions.In Augusta, magic is worth more than gold, so as the crew of the Pigeon roam the high seas searching for magic, the scoundrels they meet will test their sword fighting, map reading, sailing talents. Magic Marks the Spot is a delightful tale of adventure on the high seas. Drama, combined with humor, make this book a smile invoking, fun read. The crew make a good team against the rogues, some of them unexpected, trying to do them in. And the talking gargoyle is just icing on the cake.Fans of the Jacky Faber series by L. A. Meyer will certainly enjoy the VNHLP series…I’m assuming there will be more than one book about Hilary et al. So, if you’re looking for a rollicking tale of adventure, magic, with maybe just a tad of romance, join Hilary, Charlie, Governess Greyson and Jasper Fletcher on their voyage. You may find out you want to be a pirate too

[norabelle414 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

- Audiobook - Young Hilary Westfield wants so very badly to be a pirate. There are only two problems: 1) her father is an Admiral in the Navy, and 2) the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates (VNHLP) won't accept young girls! How rude! In fact, they forward Hilary's rejected VNHLP application to Admiral Westfield, which gets Hilary shipped off to a prestigious finishing school. She promptly escapes and joins a rag-tag band of reject pirates. The crew includes a young boy named Charlie, a budgerigar named Fitzwilliam Fletcher, the gargoyle from Hilary's home bedroom, and Hilary's own governess. Their mission is to do what all pirates do, of course - find buried magic! The pirate ship is shortly followed by Admiral Westfield's best Naval vessel and the headmistress of the finishing school, who want to catch up with Hilary and bring her back home. Or do they?!?SO CUTE! It's like a younger, funnier, lighter Bloody Jack, with magic. And a talking, overwrought, romance-novel-obsessed gargoyle. Recommended if you like children's books and pirates, and/or if you're addicted to Katherine Kellgren. It's not as fantastic as the Bloody Jack series or the Incorrigible Children, but it's a nice way to pass the time while you're waiting for the next volume in those series.

[scote23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yay pirates! I really enjoyed this swashbuckling tale of piracy and magic. The droll tone suits the book well. I think it would be a great MSBA book.

[Plato Kasserman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun story about pirates! Not real pirates, but exciting adventurer pirates who hunt for treasure! The audiobook version of the story is made even more exciting by the reader's voice.

[perpetualrevision · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a fun story, made all the better with Katherine Kellgren's amazing narration! I can't wait to listen to the next one in the series :-)

[yogamom67 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Magic Marks the Spot" Misses the Mark!"The Very Nearly Honorable League of Good Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot" has all the elements of a good story: a precocious girl, a talking gargoyle, a Great Enchantress, pirates, and hidden treasure. "Magic Marks the Spot" started slowly. After the first few chapters, the story appeared to be a bit silly and far fetched, but still a good yarn. Hilary's pet gargoyle is cute (I imagined him as a cross between a talking dog and a cat with wings) and while the introduction of magic to the story was somewhat awkward, it did add a level of intrigue and excitement. However, while there's nothing wrong with a good farce, as the story unfolded, it was almost like it couldn't decide whether or not to take itself seriously. Lots of threads are introduced, but not followed through with. Several characters are presented as simple caricatures, with relationships and behavior that just don't add up. And for me, without giving too much away - once I discovered who the Great Enchantress was, I found her to be rather disappointing. "Magic Marks the Spot" started out with great promise. Unfortunately, this was one of those books that had all of the makings of what should have been a delightful read, but just didn't pan out. Please don't get me wrong - it wasn't terrible. It does have some fun parts and there are probably many little girls who would find it entertaining. However, there are so many excellent children's books available, that one can afford to, and therefore should be, choosy. I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads Program. This did not, in any way, affect my review.

[bonniemarjorie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My rating: 3.5 of 5 starsA copy of Magic Marks the Spot was provided to me by HarperCollins/Edelweiss for review purposes.After recently being denied admittance to The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates simply because she's a girl, Hilary is now being forced into attending Miss Pimm's Finishing School for Delicate Ladies. Not that she has any desire to become a Delicate Lady. She can tread water for 37 minutes, can tie a knot that cannot be undone and hates dresses because dresses make climbing ship's rigging next to impossible. While Hilary is quite the vibrant character on her own, her gargoyle side-kick provided the comic relief when the story veered too far into weighty territory. The weighty territory mostly involved the odd choice in bad guy, which was a bit of a shock and surprise, however it was handled well. While the story was only occasionally serious, the remaining characters were still just as lighthearted making this a perfect read for young kids. In addition to the story there are between chapter snippets of letters, newspaper articles and other assorted information that was a charming addition.Magic Marks the Spot is an extremely cute Middle Grade novel that comes equipped with a super spunky heroine, entertaining pirates, magical gargoyles and treasure hunting adventures. While this works as a stand-alone novel with its solid wrap-up ending, it's actually a brand new start to a planned trilogy. Definitely looking forward to future mischief from Ms. Hilary!