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Meyer, L. A.
BLOODY JACK
San Diego : Harcourt, 2002
IL 5-8, RL 6.9
ISBN 0152167315
Orphaned and alone at 8, Mary does what she has to do to survive.  There are no orphanages to take in the children of London back in eighteenth century.  Mary hooks up with a few other orphans and survives by begging, stealing and anything else that she can.  Charlie's the head of their gang and he keeps them safe.  But then it happens.  Charlie is killed and the gang is left with no leader.  Mary begins to think about how unfair life is.  It's easier being a boy.  No one thinks anything about a boy being on his own.  They even give you odd jobs and feed you.  Right then and there, she makes a life changing decision.  She cuts her hair, puts on Charlie's old clothes and becomes Jack.  She signs on to a marine vessel as a ship's boy and begins her new life.  The life on a ship chasing pirates is a far cry from begging on the streets of London.  But how long can she get away with pretending to be a boy?  She's close to 15 years old now and her body is changing and betraying her secret.  Find out what life was like on a British warship searching for pirates.
SUBJECTS:     Orphans -- Fiction.
                        Seafaring life -- Fiction.
                        Sea stories.
                        Pirates -- Fiction.
                        Sex role -- Fiction.
                        Historical fiction.

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