I did a library gig like this once; I'm trying to remember what I ended up singing. "Captain Kidd" and "High Barbary" were among them, even though they aren't strictly speaking chanties. But every kid likes a good pirate song. Also a version of "Poor Old Horse" (without the "son of a whore" line, "Sam's Gone Away," "Come Along Down," "One Hundred Years on the Eastern Shore" and especially "Paddy Doyles Boots." (The kids love singing "YAH!" at the top of their lungs.)

I think sea chanties are an especially good form of folk music for kids - they're energetic, easy to sing on, educational and fun. The fact that many of them are at least in part obscene, racist, sexist or otherwise patently offensive is a minor detail. At schools and libraries we start with the expurgated versions. They can learn the whole story later on.

Musique174, are you familiar with Andrea Aldridge? At least at one time she was very involved in the Lady Washington and wrote a beautiful song, "Outward Bound," about the ship.

Dan Schatz (about to become incommunicado for several days)