The McNasty pirate twins, Captain Gruesome and his brother, Captain Grisly, are determined to get their grubby hands on the treasure buried in the sleepy seaside village of Little Snoring. But the McNastys discover that two clever young friends, Tat and Hetty, are equally determined to find the treasure, and soon they are all embroiled in a rollicking test of wits to see which pair will prevail. Faced with the excessive mucus running from the nose of the pirates' second mate, Mrs. Slime; the Big, Scary, Very Dark, Dense Forest Where No One In Their Right Mind Would Want To Go and a walk on the plank of the pirate ship The Rotten Apple, do the children stand a chance? With its over-the-top pirate antics and nonstop gross-out humor, this hysterical chapter book from author Lyn Gardner hits the spot for early readers. The funny artwork from award-winning illustrator Ros Asquith offers frequent witty asides and visual gags, and will be a draw for reluctant readers. Central to the story's appeal is Tat, the highly relatable boy hero who struggles with his schoolwork (and his teacher) but proves to everyone he excels at many important real-life skills. This book is sure to be hugely popular with youngsters, particularly boys, looking for a great story for classroom free-reading periods. It also works well for lessons on humor in storytelling.