The Last of the Sky Pirates by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

About the Book

Fifty years after Captain Twig severed the anchor chain securing the floating rock of Sanctaphrax to Undertown, all is not well in the great floating city or the urban sprawl of Undertown. Rook Barkwater is selected as a Librarian Knight elect, and seeks to train in the Freeglades. Along the way, Rook encounters personal failure, betrayal, and near death. Rook ventures out into the Deepwoods to continue his studies, and he meets the famous sky pirate, Captain Twig. Together, they journey back to Undertown in the Skyraider to stage a dramatic rescue mission atop the horrible Tower of Night.

Guide prepared by Colleen Carroll

Discussion Questions

Rook is transported beyond the squalor of the sewers through reading and his quest for knowledge. How can being educated elevate a person beyond the circumstances of their life, such as being born poor or not being from a “connected” family?
On page 45, during the announcement ceremony Rook swears to “serve Edge scholarship, both Earth and Sky, for the good of all” with his heart and his head. Discuss the meaning of this pledge. How does Rook fulfill his sworn vow as the story unfolds?

Extension Activity

At the end of the book, Rook, Cowlquape and Wumeru the Banderbear witness Captain Twig being carried away by the caterbird. (p. 364) Have students work in teams to create an additional chapter to this volume that will be the start of a new volume that picks up on Twig’s arrival at Riverrise. (Riverrise is described in Chapter Eighteen of Midnight over Sanctaphrax).

Rook Barkwater lives in the network of sewer-chambers beneath Undertown, the bustling main city of the Edgeworld. He dreams of becoming a librarian knight – one of those sent out to explore the mysteries of their world. Breaking all the rules, he sets out on a journey to the Free Glades and beyond. His luck and determination lead him from one peril to another until, buried in the heart of the Deepwoods, Rock encounters a mysterious character—the last sky pirate—and is thrust into a bold adventure that dares to challenge the might of the dreaded Guardians of the night.