Jane Yolen tells the rousing stories of 13 villianous women pirates. Their stories are arranged in chronological order from Artemisia (500 BC) to Madame Ching (early 1800s). The pirates come from all walks of life and from all over the world. Yolen debunks many pirate myths (walking the plank) and tries to seperate fact from fiction, noting that much of what we know about the pirates does not come from the pirates themselves. The stories of the 13 women are enhanced by wood cut style illustrations. Sidebars provide additional information about piracy, geography and even some songs associated with piracy. There is also a list of other women pirates, though not much is known about many of them. Yolen has included an index, bibliography and a list of websites. The large type and page layout make this book accessible for younger and reluctant readers. An informative and fun read.