"When Eric Stewart starts finding mysterious objects in the woods near his house, marked with the unmistakable sign of piratesóskull and crossbonesóhe does what any young boy would do: He becomes a pirate hunter. He tracks backwoods pirates, collecting evidence of their presence, but never manages to catch sight of them. And one day, all signs of the pirates completely vanish. Little does Eric know that friendly old Grampa Joe next door, the fixer of broken things and maker of delicious tea and whoopee pies, is harboring the backwoods pirates on his own property! This crew of dirty, warty, natty, rude, pugnacious, revolting, disgusting pirates shows up demanding his hoard of junk (which they collect for resale), but the pirate crew and Joe make a deal: He will teach them how to get more junk than theyíve ever dreamed of, and they will give him a little adventure in his life. The Dread Crew is a tale of filth and friendship, rat-tail necklaces and resourcefulness."