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Roger the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist is ideal reading for young mateys.

Welcome to the second edition of Ask a Librarian. This week, I'm taking to the high seas with the following question:

"My kid is way into pirates. What are some good pirate reads for kids?"

I called on friend of Family.com, Catherine McCafferty, a youth services assistant at the Bethlehem Area Public Library and a pirate enthusiast, to answer.

Because pirates are well-liked across age groups, I asked Ms. McCafferty for recommendations for younger kids (up to age 6), early readers (say, 6- to 10-year-olds), and tweens/teens. "Pirates are perennial favorites, like dinosaurs," she said. In other words, pirate infatuation begins early and lasts for a while. To McCafferty, it's important that a pirate book help satisfy a fascination with pirates while also possessing a good story.

WIth that criteria in mind, here are her recommendations. She was kind enough to provide notes about each book. Ahoy, and happy reading!

For Younger Readers

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Jeremy Jacob joins the crew of Braid Beard's pirate ship -- and finds the best  (no veggies! no bedtime!) and worst (no tuck-ins, no bedtime stories) about a pirate's life. Luckily, he convinces the crew that his backyard is the best spot for their treasure.

Do Pirates Take Baths? by Kathy Tucker
Cheery rhymes and illustrations answer the title question and others with some whimsy (pirates celebrate their birthdays with soda pop cake.)

Roger the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist
Before there was the Jolly Roger flag, there was a pirate named Roger who just wasn't meant for pirating. While his crew fights the Navy, he cooks up a rescue that becomes the standard flag for all pirates.

For Ages 7-10
Pirates Past Noon (Magic Tree House series) by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie's enchanted tree house takes them to Captain Kidd’s treasure -- and a pirate captain who wants them to find it for him. (A companion Research Guide gives factual info.)

The Not-So-Jolly Roger (The Time Warp Trio) by Jon Scieszka
Blackbeard in a Mets' cap? Joe, Fred and Sam must be time-traveling again.

For Ages 9-12
Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt
"Jack Plank was an out-of-work pirate." The opening sentence says it all. Jack isn't very good at pirating -- and as he tries to find just what he is good at, he shares tales of the sea with the boardinghouse neighbors.

For Ages 10-12
Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt
Jake's first voyage teaches him juts how adventurous -- and grim -- life among a pirate crew can be. (He has to help with an amputation, his uncle is set adrift, etc.) Factual notes included.

For Ages 14 and Up
The Wreckers (John Spencer trilogy) by Iain Lawrence (McCafferty called this one an "absolute page turner.")
Not all treachery happens at sea. After John Spencer's ship is lured into wrecking off the English coast, John's life depends on figuring out who he can trust. (Sequels: The Smugglers, The Buccaneers)

For the Young Adult Set
Pirates! by Celia Rees (Another in the "absolute page turner" category.)
Merchant's daughter Nancy Kington and her friend Minerva, a Jamaican slave, find freedom "on the account," but then find themselves tracked in a deadly cat-and-mouse game as Nancy’s jilted fiance searches the seas to take his vengeance.

Also, for kids looking for "just the facts," McCafferty added two non-fiction recommendations:

A Pirate's Life for Me: A Day Aboard a Pirate Ship by Julie Thompson
Looks at the fact and fiction of life aboard a pirate ship. (Was released with a cassette that included fun sea chanteys -- but not re-released on CD). Good for 6-8 year olds.

The Pirate's Handbook by Margarette Lincoln
Factual information interspersed with activites such as treasure map-making, making coins, learning knots. Best for 10 and older.

With a list this treasure-laden, you'll have no trouble keeping kids "arrrrr"-ested by exciting pirate adventures.

Thanks to Ms. McCafferty for contributing so much pirate-book knowledge to this admitted landlubber.

Do you have a question for a librarian? Looking for a good book? Let me know and I'll ask a librarian for you!