Thirteen Brother Pirates (Book 1): The Journey Begins, John R. Mattox II

For Mac, a teenage orphan on the streets of Southwark, London, war is as far away as the new world. He simply needs a place to stay for himself and for his sister Patti. Luckily, he stumbles upon a safe house filled with other teens like him. But safety is short-lived. While playing one evening near the River Thames, he and his new-found friends are pressed into service by the Royal Navy—forced to work as sailors as they travel to the new world with a mission to hunt pirates.

The young crew faces challenges they never expected—climbing ratlines, sleeping in hammocks, eating maggot-filled biscuits. Worst of all, the tables are turned. Instead of hunting pirates, they are attacked by them! Half of the brothers are taken captive, leaving the rest aboard a disabled ship floating helplessly in the middle of the Atlantic. The captives must learn to survive while the others must choose to save themselves—or dare the impossible and save their friends. Though young and seemingly feckless, their own struggles mirror those of an emerging nation, and they may someday help shape the outcome of the War for Independence. Along the way, they learn to question authority, fight pirates and set their own course.

Join the brothers on their journey. It begins in London. You will be surprised where it ends.