A keystone of English literature, “Gulliver’s Travels” was one of the books that gave birth to the novel form, though it did not yet have the rules of the genre as an organizing tool. A parody of the then popular travel narrative, “Gulliver’s Travels” combines adventure with savage satire, mocking English customs and the politics of the day.

Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece was originally published in 1726 without its author’s name under the title “Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.” This work, which is told in Gulliver’s “own words,” is the most brilliant as well as the most bitter and controversial of his satires.

The winds of change are about to fill the sails of Jack Drayton…
A penniless young man living on a barge on the Thames in 1903 London, Jack Drayton is unsure of where his life is heading. He’s trying to decide what to do with himself next when he meets a peculiar stranger. Needing a ride to shore one evening, Jack hitches a ride from this stranger, who speaks, dresses, and behaves as though he’s stepped out of another era. After Jack helps the man escape a fracas in town, he tells Jack that he is in fact Black Juan Gaskara, an infamous pirate, and claims that he’s on the run for his life.

Now, that would be all fine and good, except for the fact that the real Black Juan Gaskara would have to be over 112 years old; or more logically, dead.

Despite his disbelief however, Jack is intrigued by the man. Especially when he learns of the treasure that Gaskara has apparently hidden on Peril Island, a place only known to Black Juan.
Before Juan is murdered by descendants of the crew he double-crossed over the loot, he leaves Jack with a cryptogram and map that will reveal where the treasure is hidden. Now it’s up to Jack to recover the treasure before Black Juan’s enemies – who wish to use it to set up a global crime empire – get their hands on it first. With his best friend Hector at his side, Jack must venture on the dangerous ocean journey of a lifetime, following the cryptic clues to uncover the treasure before Gaskara’s foes put an end to his search…and his life!

Author C.W. James creates a fast-paced and thrilling historical novel that will capture the imagination of young adult audiences and hold them fast until the very last page. Perfect for casual readers and bibliophiles alike, The Treasure of Peril Island is the kind of book that will ignite one’s love of reading, or continue to kindle the existing flame. A classic story of adventure, mystery, pirate curses and hidden treasure, this is the optimal book to add to any teen library!