Age 9+

This is the latest in Templar’s phenomenal bestselling series, including Wizardology, Dragonology and Egyptology, of “facsimile” historical volumes with astonishing extra features. Pirateology has a compass in the cover, a bag of “gold dust”, maps to unfold, bound letters to untie, booklets to open, straps with which to practise pirates’ knots, inset “jewels” and embossed pieces of eight. It purports to consist of documents found in a sea chest, telling the story of a circumnavigation of the globe in 1723 in pursuit of a female pirate called Arabella Drummond. The supposedly contemporary account of this voyage is interspersed with trivia about pirate history, places, punishments and customs, from the late 15th to the early 18th centuries. The text is often sophisticated, the information challenging and the interactive details will appeal to younger readers. There is also a related online competition. The beautiful drawings of swashbucklers and ships, and the carefully conceived design, make this a treasure worth burying.

(Templar £17.99)

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