Book Review of Chris and the Sky Pirates
The Children’s Book Review
Chris and the Sky Pirates
Written by Liam G. Martin
Cover art by Andy Catling
Ages: 8+| 108 Pages
Publisher: Liam G. Martin | ISBN-13: 978-1-9194326-2-5
What to Expect: Portal fantasy, sky pirates, treasure-hunt adventure, disability representation (cerebral palsy), anti-bullying, courage, problem-solving, found family.
Chris and the Sky Pirates by Liam G. Martin is a middle-grade portal fantasy about a boy with cerebral palsy who escapes his school bully through a mysterious door and ends up stowed away on a sky pirate ship in the middle of a high-stakes treasure hunt.
When Josh and his goons corner Chris in an abandoned alley, he ducks through the only door available — and finds himself not in a dusty old youth club, but in a rowdy tavern full of pirates, on a dock floating in the clouds. Before he can figure out how to get home, he’s smuggled aboard a sky ship and swept into The Great Hunt, an annual race between pirate crews to solve a trail of clues and claim a legendary treasure. Between a gruff cook with a soft spot for him, a bickering pair of best-friend shipmates, and a captain who takes no nonsense, Chris finds himself needed in ways he never is at school — if he can just keep up.
Martin writes in a dialogue-driven, first-person voice that suits the age group, with chapters ending on hooks and running banter (mostly courtesy of shipmates Billy and Bert) providing steady comic relief. What sets the book apart is Chris himself: his cerebral palsy is rendered in concrete, specific detail — the fatigue after running, the tripping on uneven ground, the dread of PE class — rather than as an obstacle for the plot to fix. His value to the crew comes from his mind: he’s the one who recognizes and solves a scytale cipher clue using something he learned in school. His confrontation with Josh at the book’s end draws directly on advice the Captain gives him earlier, so the growth is set up rather than sudden.
This isn’t an illustrated storybook, but the design work supporting the text stands out: a detailed, legible fantasy map of the sky islands, a recurring compass-and-rope chapter ornament, and a pair of puzzle graphics — including an actual scytale cipher readers can work out alongside Chris — that reward attentive readers rather than just decorating the page.
A well-paced adventure that pairs a fun treasure-hunt plot with a disabled protagonist written with real specificity rather than as a device to overcome, Chris and the Sky Pirates is ideal to hand this to readers who love pirates, puzzles, and underdog heroes — especially kids who’ve ever felt like they don’t fit in and are looking for a hero who solves problems with his head, not his legs.
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About the Author
Liam G. Martin is the author of Scrapbook of Dreams and Chris and the Sky Pirates.
After a childhood illness left him stuck in the hospital, he discovered the magic of storytelling. He now writes stories full of wonder, wild worlds, magic, and a smidge of silliness!
