Genres: Historical Fiction, AdventureRecommended Ages: 9-13
Summer is over, school is back in session, and that means this blog is back. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons I didn't do much reading this summer but I am commited to change that trend and I started to do so by reading The giant rat of Sumatra by Sid Fleischman this week.
The year is 1846, and the United States has just invaded Mexico. Twelve year old Edmund is a cabin boy on a pirate ship. You would think that that would be a rather crumby life, but it is actually not that bad - the boss of the ship, Captain Gallows, is actually a pretty nice guy, and even though they are pirates, they only rob and pilage from other pirate ships. Still, Edmund longs to return back to his home in Boston. They arrive in San Diego where the Captain decides he wants to become a rancher. While there, Edmund, Captain Gallows and the rest of the crew tangle with the mysterious Senorita Wildcat, the cruel Don Simpatico and eventually the US Navy. Along the way we learn that every person has a story and not all people we think are bad are really that way.
This was a good book. It has short chapters that keep the pace of the book moving fast. It is a funny story that I would recommend to older elementary school or younger middle school kids, particularly those that like adventure and pirate stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment