My name is Pat Gantz, and I am a new author starting the business, Stories by
Pat. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my new books for ages 9 – 12 which are coming soon.
The Sailing the High Seas series, set in the 1780’s, is full of adventures and
heart-warming moments. Sassy Blair Reagh will steal your hearts as she did mine. I tell ye true, Blair makes my books sing.
Three times Logan and his Uncle Ronnie, a surgeon, go to sea. Three times Blair pops up, uninvited, to sail the seven seas with them. As it turns out, a young healer comes in handy on the ship. Best not tell the crew she’s a girl, they’re superstitious about females on ships. ‘Tis bad luck, ye know. There’s no rhyme or reason to sailor beliefs.
Without realizing it, middle grade readers seamlessly learn about sailor culture
on tall mast ships, scientific versus unscientific medical treatments, ship entertainment, and the severe restrictions society imposed on girls and women. Books 1 and 3 also touch on the American Revolution.
These good reads are timeless in that they deal with issues faced by every
generation of children: bullying, coping with the death of a parent, and friendship. Readers can relate to the humor between the main characters as well as their fears. How cousins Logan and Blazin’ Blair bond and grow through adversity is well worth the reads.
The sea glossary and Author Notes extend content understanding while YouTube engages readers in the arts of the sailor. Want to weave a Turk’s Head Knot bracelet like Blair? Watch how to make one on YouTube.
How did I choose to write about this subject? Sailing the High Seas found me. As a reader and traveler, I scoured museums and national park bookshops for historical novels of the area. In that respect, historical seaports were a disappointment. Not finding books on the Age of Sail to buy as gifts for middle grade readers mystified me. The solution? Write the books myself.
There are three books in the series:
Book 1: Searching for Dad, Lost at Sea, 1780
Book 2: Rendezvous with Grandmother, A Pirate Queen, 1781
Book 3: In Hot Pursuit of Justice, 1782
These books should be available in Summer 2024.
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