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Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. Stowaway by Karen Hesse. Young Adult. Write a Review. About this Book Summary Excerpt. Book Summary Sparkling with humor, poignancy and adventure, this story was inspired by a real boy who stowed away aboard Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour on its voyage Read Full Excerpt.
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Your First Name. Zip Code. The author has used ship logs and diaries so that the story of the trip is accurate. Read the brief epilogue first. I have read a number of books about sea voyages in the 18th and 19th centuries and Stowaway seems to be fairly accurate. The book is easy to read, and avoids the common over enthusiastic cheeriness of too many young adult books.
I enjoyed the story but Nick is pretty modern in his outlook. He serves to point out the social world of his time: the strong class system, that most adults were illiterate, the view the British had of native peoples, the intense interest in botany, the heavy use of corporal discipline, the helplessness in face of disease, etc. There was a map from the 18th century, but it was too small to be very useful. This is probably more for a pre-teen. By the time I and my girls were 11 or 12 we were reading and reading the Mutiny on the Bounty series.
View all 3 comments. It shows life on a s ship accurately, and the thoughts of the time are well represented. I really like Nick, and several of the characters, like the Monkhouses, Mr. Perry, Lt. Banks and Dr. Solander went out in hopes of discovering something they had not yet seen. All they discovered was how very wet a Gentleman can get in the driving rain. Jun 29, Lydia rated it really liked it. Stowaway was slow at times but if you like adventure stories particularly taking place on a boat then you'll love this.
The way Hesse writes makes it seem like an actual journal written by an actual boy. Her factual style and young-boy personification makes it even more enjoyable. Jun 28, Emily rated it really liked it. Fascinating read - I found myself breaking out my atlas and tracking the Endeavor's voyage. Lots of fun rabbit trails, from sailing to botany to the Pacific Island cultures.
Plus it's a completely true story. Highly recommended. Oct 02, Mary Beth rated it really liked it Shelves: historical , children-s , adventure , owned , favorites. Based off the true story of Captain Cook's first voyage around the world and written in a journal style.
Fascinating, and well written you will be cheering for NiK throughout the book! Oct 22, Ashley rated it really liked it. I thought it was a pretty good book. I don't know why he would stowaway on a ship and risk being killed, but otherwise, it was really good. Jun 27, Doug rated it really liked it. May 26, RJ Rathsack rated it it was amazing.
The story is inspired by a real boy who stowed away aboard Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour on its voyage. It is based on what little is known about year-old Nicholas Young and spins an imaginative tale firmly anchored in fact. The brief diary entries adhere to the ship's actual itinerary and detail Nick's adventures. This historical fiction read is right around a 6th grade reading level. Nick grows into young manhood shaped by the three-year voyage, teaching an illiterate shipmate to read, befriending a Tahitian boy and witnessing cannibalism as well as a share of tragedy while helping to nurse a crew ravaged by accident and disease.
The crew of the Endeavour learn to accept and enjoy having Nick as a crewmate. His lively observations keep the action sailing smoothly forward, while Hesse's incredible research hit the novel with a wealth of detail.
Karen Hesse re-creates Cook's momentous voyage through the eyes of this remarkable boy, creating a fictional journal filled with fierce hurricanes, warring natives, and disease, as Nick discovers new lands, incredible creatures, and lifelong friends.
The author uses great craft throughout the book. Hesse uses a great mix of memory moments and words of the wiser along the story. Most of the memory moments involve Nick remembering being back in England before he runs away. The words of the wise included Nick learning many life lessons from older smarter crew mates. Crewman like Mr. Banks and Mr. Roberts help keep Nick on a safe and smart path throughout the Endeavors journey. I would definitely recommend this book to a reader of any age.
The words are not too tough and not very confusing. One concept the reader must understand is a day to day journal because that's the form Stowaway is in. I loved every page of the book and sometimes couldn't put it down. Oct 03, E Wilson rated it really liked it. This is one of my least favorite genres, a fictionalized account of a real person. Very little is known about Nicholas Young except that he was a stowaway on Captain Cook's first voyage to circumnavigate the globe.
The author invents a diary written by the young boy. I gave the book 4 stars due to all the details about Cook's voyage and the day to day life on board a relatively small ship on a voyage that lasted 3 years. Cook was looking for a new continent Antarctica? He was also charting the waters around New Zealand and Australia. Joseph Banks, a naturalist, was collecting sea life, birds and plants.
Sydney Parkinson, an artist, was tirelessly drawing and painting all of these specimens. Captain Cook was an excellent seaman and brought the ship and crew through many dangers. The ship was almost lost when they were driven into the shallows and the ship was damaged. Only by some lucky winds and the crew's frantic pumping did they survive. They encounter natives on numerous islands , some friendly, some fearful, some warlike. They traded when possible with cloth, beads, nails and hatchets.
Two natives from Tahiti joined the voyage and were able to interpret with the natives on many of the other islands.
After sailing past New Zealand and Australia the ship docked at Batavia to take on supplies. Unfortunately, malaria was rampant and almost the whole crew were sickened. At some points there were not enough men well enough to sail the ship. Many died. What a tragedy after they had survived so many hardships and were really on their way home. The diary did become a bit tedious after awhile. I'm sure on a long voyage, days do begin to run together. If it had been a real diary I would have accepted that, but since in was a fabrication I wasn't so generous.
Mar 28, Chrissi rated it liked it Shelves: young-adult , historical-fiction. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here. Nick Young stows away aboard the Endeavor on its way from England to map out the South Pacific and chart the course of Venus through the skies. He's hiding from his past, from his family, and he's looking for a grand adventure. And, of course, he finds it during his three year voyage.
The diary is in a readable format, with the days and months making sense. Obviously a great deal of historical research was done for this book. You are about to leave our Parents site. Are you sure you want to leave? Stowaway By Karen Hesse. Save to Wishlist Saved to Wishlist.
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