The Scrimshaw Ring (The Vermont Folklife Center Children's Book Series)

A family story about an heirloom was the inspiration for this suspenseful narrative about a young boy's encounter in 1710 with mutinous pirates on a coastal Rhode Island farm. Author William Jaspersohn deftly contrasts boyhood fantasies with the discovery of the harsh realities of outlaw life. Vibrant illustrations heighten the graphic intensity of Jaspersohn's prose. The final page offers ideas to help children uncover the stories embedded in their own family heirlooms.