The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket is an adventure fantasy for children written and illustrated by Suzanne Lowe. Charlotte had been living at Sevenoaks Home for Children since she was only two years old. It had been ten years already, and she was about to turn twelve. When she had first come to live in Sevenoaks, it was only she and Miss Thumble, but soon other kids came to the home. Miss Thumble was an awful person, mean and cruel, and she made the children under her care work very hard, and she fed them only two meals a day. Charlotte loved when the tutor would come to teach them twice a week, and she wished he would come by more often, but Miss Thumble preferred that her charges work, and work they did. Then, on Charlotte’s twelfth birthday, something strange happened. No, Miss Thumble didn’t throw a party for her or bake a cake. But she did call Charlotte into her office where a strange man was waiting. He looked at Charlotte and mused aloud that she was a bit short, but would do. Later that evening, Miss Thumble told Charlotte she could no longer stay at Sevenoaks since she was now twelve. She would be working as a lady’s maid for Mrs. Harrison, or she would out on the streets. Miss Thumble didn’t seem to care what Charlotte did, as long as she left the home.

Suzanne Lowe’s adventure fantasy for children and preteens, The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket, is a marvelous fable about a homeless orphan who ends up marooned on a desert island inhabited by pirates and cannibals with only Mrs. Harrison’s pet dog, Mr. Jacks, for company. Anyone whose imaginations soared reading the great classic adventure tales such as those penned by Robert Louis Stevenson, will have, no doubt, as grand and glorious a time reading this novel as I did. I loved the feisty and resilient Charlotte whose spirit seemed to be virtually indomitable. Lowe’s story reads smoothly and easily, and her plot is filled with treasure maps, mysteries and a cook whose fearsome visage masks a kind and generous mentor. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket is most highly recommended.

The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe is a lighthearted story with old-fashioned ingredients: a lonely girl in a miserable orphanage, a sea adventure, a crew of pirates, cannibals, a furry companion and buried treasure. The story begins with Charlotte’s description of the truly awful Sevenoaks Home for Children, where she has lived since she was two. The only things she has to remind herself of her parents are nightmares and a golden locket. To make matters worse, on the day Charlotte should be celebrating her twelfth birthday, the matron sells her to a rich couple in need a lady’s maid for their sea voyage. Not long after the ship leaves port, there is a shipwreck and Charlotte finds herself washed ashore on an island with a dog named Mr Jacks, a band of pirates and a tribe of cannibals. Afraid of the cannibals, Charlotte throws her lot in with the pirates.

After the first few pages, which seemed a little rough as Charlotte settles into her voice, I found The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket to be a light and enjoyable read. The plot moves along at a brisk pace and Suzanne Lowe brings out the humanity in the characters. My personal favorite was the pirate cook, Red Face. Out of necessity, perhaps, Charlotte is a very resilient and resourceful girl. The captain of the pirate ship Annie’s Revenge declares her to be braver than some of his scoundrels. I think girls a little younger than Charlotte will enjoy The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket and look forward to its upcoming sequel.

Adventure, mayhem, and cannibals! The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe follows Lotty, a twelve-year-old orphan. At the age of two, Lotty was left under mysterious circumstances at Sevenoaks Home for Children. She often has violent nightmares which she believes have something to do with her past. However, Lotty's waking life isn't all that great compared to her nightmares. As the story progresses, Lotty is given a choice to leave the orphanage or work for a family as a lady's maid. She chooses the latter and her adventure begins on the Dorchester, a ship heading out on a voyage ... or so she thinks. Lotty is thrown overboard and makes it to an island, only to be captured by pirates!

I have been a fan of pirate adventures since I read Treasure Island as a child, so when I saw The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket I jumped on it immediately. As an adult reading this, I can honestly say I enjoyed every bit of it and I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to read so that she can immerse herself in Lotty's amazing story. Suzanne Lowe's pacing of her story is brilliant for this genre; the story is quick, clean, and fun. I liked how much thought and detail was given, even to the minor characters like Red Face and Jasper, but most of all I loved how Lowe connected everything sweetly in the end and left room for more. I believe the author is working on the second novel and, without a doubt, I'll be looking forward to it. I would recommend this to people with elementary school-aged children; it's an altogether wonderful and wholesome story.

I loved The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket by Suzanne Lowe. When I read a book for children I’m always thinking of children that I know. I know what they are looking for in a book and I know what their parents and grandparents are looking for in a book. Suzanne Lowe’s book meets all their requirements. The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket will be especially fun for young girls to read because they will identify with the protagonist. Charlotte has had a hard life but is brave, cheerful, positive, and helpful. She strives to do her best, no matter the circumstances, and is sure that things will work out even in her darkest moments. I like her, and I like her story. I’m sure young readers will too.

I’m not sure which element of The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket I liked most. The writing was superb. Just the right tone and level of complexity for a book about a young girl, written in the voice of that young girl. Charlotte is a great heroine and young people will relate to her. Even the bad characters are tastefully done. This is the first book I’ve read where the most despicable character is the headmistress of an orphanage, and the most lovable is a small, white, clueless dog. There are other great characters among the orphans and the pirates, but Mr. Jacks really stands out. I read this book in an afternoon. It flowed, and I didn’t want to put it down until I had finished. I think young readers will feel the same.

The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket is a short children’s adventure book by author Suzanne Lowe. Aimed at the 8-12 middle grade reader range, our heroine is the orphaned Lotty, a typically plucky orphan who was raised at the grim Sevenoaks Home. Where once she had a humdrum boring life dreaming of adventure, Lotty’s dreams become a terrible reality on the day she turns twelve. When she is brought aboard the Dorchester passenger ship, a terrible storm threatens her life and she is lost at sea. Only then does she discover a band of terrible pirates under the leadership of the enigmatic and dangerous Captain Horatio. The question is whether she can live up to the adventure she’s always wanted.

For such a short tale, Suzanne Lowe packs a lot into her work. I think the plot is a tiny bit oversimplified for the age range and I would love to see the tale expanded with more detail, but on the whole it’s an excellent story with plenty of heart. I particularly liked the character work with Lotty, her dog and the pirate crew, who stood out by far as one of the most interesting and diverse groups of rotters I’ve encountered in children’s fiction for a long time. The ending seems to leave an opening for a sequel and I really hope that Lowe intends to delve into this world again and give us much more of it. Overall, I’d recommend The Pirate Princess and the Golden Locket to younger readers of the middle grade genre.