18 Pirate Books for Kids – Fiction and Nonfiction

Shiver Me Letters by June Sobel is a preschool alphabet book about a crew of pirates who search for an item beginning with each letter.

Do Pirates Take Baths? by Kathy Tucker is a colorful rhyming story for preschoolers.

Neil Gaiman's Pirate Stew is a cute rhyming story about two kids, a crew of pirates, and a magical stew. This is a fun read-aloud for kids ages 4 to 6.

In Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting, a little boy wonders what would happen if he sailed away on a ship. Fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Guess How Much I Love You? will adore this story.

Pete the Cat and the Treasure Map by James Dean finds Captain Pete on a treasure-hunting adventure. This book also has stickers. If your child loves this story, there are many more in the Pete the Cat series.

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long tells the story of a little boy who sets off on a pirate adventure. He learns that although some parts of being a pirate are fun, he misses his home.

Dinosaur Pirates by Penny Dale is a silly fictional story that teaches some pirate and dinosaur vocabulary.

There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish by Jennifer Ward is a fun take on the classic old-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly rhyme, complete with silly illustrations.

Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten by Lisa Robinson is the perfect book for a child who might be nervous about starting the first day of school.

The Pirate Pig by Cornelia Funke is a chapter book for kids ages 7 to 10 about a pair of pirates who find a pig and take her on their adventures.

Pirateology: The Pirate Hunter's Companion is a fictional journal by Captain William Lubber, edited by Dugald A. Steer. This interactive story has a working compass, maps, and other items for readers ages 6 to 11 to discover.

Pirates: Dead Men's Tales by Anne Rooney features historical facts about pirates and stories about some of the most famous people to sail the seas. This is intended for kids ages 9 to 13.

Who was Blackbeard? by James Buckley Jr. is part of the Who HQ series for upper-elementary kids. It introduces historical characters in a chapter book format.

How Ships Work is part of the Lonely Planet Kids How Things Work series. It teaches kids about all types of vessels from pirate ships to submarines.

Pirates in the DK Eyewitness series has photos, illustrations, and facts about historical pirates and the tools they used.

Pirates in the Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary. Take an honest look at pirates from history without Hollywood glamour in a way that's still appropriate for kids ages 7 to 9.

North American Pirates and Their Lost Treasure by WC Jameson focuses on historical pirates in the Caribbean and along the US coast. Stories are intended for older readers ages 9 to 14.

Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Seven Seas is a graphic novel by Sam Maggs that tells a fictionalized story of real pirate Anne Bonney.