Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea! – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Fun mystery friendship self-worth.
Children’s book title: Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea!
Children’s author: Emma Swan.
Children’s illustrator: Katie Saunders
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Usborne.
ISBN: 9781835409954.
Recommended for children aged: 8-12 year-olds.
First published: Paperback July 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who struggle with friendships and self-confidence or enjoy interactive, thought-provoking stories.
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Our review:
Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea! is written by Emma Swan, who actually grew up on a cruise ship, enabling her to authentically depict life aboard a liner, complete with restaurants, a cinema, shops and pools. Although this might seem like a perfect existence, it brings its own challenges. Silver (aged 10¼) is the only daughter of the Deputy Cruise Director and lives on the ship full-time. She spends most of her time with The Gang, a colourful group of older residents also living aboard, but she longs for a genuine friend of her own age. Children come and go with each cruise, but Silver finds it difficult to interact with them, feeling more comfortable speaking to adults.
However, on this cruise, two things happen to suggest that things might finally change. A girl named Yana begins spending time with Silver, and two very expensive watches go missing. When Silver’s friend and crewmember, Pedru, is accused, she takes it upon herself to solve the mystery while simultaneously hoping to form a best friendship. Readers meet a diverse cast of passengers and crew as Silver becomes a “Definitely-Not-Detective.”
Many children will relate to Silver’s awkward interactions with peers and her bewilderment at how easily others seem to make friends. A notable feature is Silver’s “in-between-my-ears voice,” which she must choose whether to heed or ignore. At times, the story is subtly heartbreaking – for instance, when Silver recounts her hopefulness that one girl would write to her, only to be disappointed, or when she lists ways she believes she must change herself to be liked by Yana. Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea! tracks Silver’s journey from trying to alter herself for others to realising her own unique value and understanding what genuine friendship means.
The narrative cleverly incorporates stealth teaching, such as geographical facts, maps, and useful mindfulness tips. Silver frequently uses similes, each punctuated by a “BOOM!” – for example, “Like when you have to speak to your mum’s friend and there’s nothing to say, so you just freeze, like a laptop out of power. (BOOM!).” The book also includes numerous interactive elements such as games, quizzes, and fill-in activities. Some activities are simply fun – for example, guessing who stole the watches or doodling – but others provoke deeper reflection, like “What would you change about yourself?” or “What makes you feel calm?” Parents might benefit from reading these responses, and certain activities could prompt valuable whole-class discussions, particularly around the clear message that we should never change ourselves for others.
Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea! is a lively, enjoyable read, beautifully complemented by Katie Saunders’ fantastic illustrations, giving the book the feel of a personal diary. Yet beneath its playful surface, the book addresses serious issues and raises important questions about friendship, fairness, rule-breaking, self-confidence, and self-worth, along with gently reminding readers that older people can indeed be very cool.
Our verdict:
Aimed at KS2, Cruise Ship Kid: Thief At Sea! would make an excellent class read, offering children insight into a unique lifestyle while prompting PSHE discussions around friendship and authenticity. Many young readers will see themselves reflected in Silver.
Many thanks to Usborne for the review copy.
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