It was Pirate Captain Codspawn's birthday. But what was his birthday surprise? It wasn't the beetles in the butter. It wasn't the spiders in the sugar. And it wasn't the special pirate pie that Cook had baked. But it was the best present a pirate could ever want!

* Gold/Band 9 fiction books offer developing readers literary language and stories with distinctive characters.

* Text type - A humorous story.

* Pages 22 and 23 feature a recipe for pirate pie, with ingredients that would test the stomachs of even the most bloodthirsty pirates. This is a great starting point for further discussion and activities outside the reading session.

* Curriculum links - Geography: Going to the Seaside, Where in the world is Barnaby Bear?

* This story is paired with a non-fiction book on the same theme: How to be a Pirate, also by Scoular Anderson.

* This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery.

* This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.