At the Dankmarsh School for poor orphans, the children sleep four to a bed and exist on watery porridge. Teachers don't last long, and so when a new one arrives they are intrigued, especially since he has an eyepatch, a huge moustache and calls himself the Captain. Miss Scrubshaw interviews him for the post, though he and his cousin 'Mr Mate' seem most interested in the ancient map on her wall. The Captain introduces new lessons: compass use, swordcraft and biscuit identification. On a school trip to visit the Black Barnacle, a ship owned by an 'old pal', the Captain gives Miss Scrubshaw the slip and it dawns on the children that the ship has cast off, and they are the new crew! Bound, they discover, for Doom Island and a perilous quest for hidden treasure, at the mercy of the Captain and his dastardly plan.
- ISBN10 1408819333
- ISBN13 9781408819333
- Publish Date 20 December 2012 (first published 2 June 2008)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
- Imprint Bloomsbury Childrens Books
- Format eBook (EPUB)
- Pages 128
- Language English
- URL http://bloomsbury.com/