From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Ernest Hemingway, the author of
The Old Man and the Sea, once remarked that American literature began with Mark Twain's
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Rodman Philbrick repays the compliment with a nod to Hemingway in
The Young Man and the Sea(Blue Sky, 2004) set in coastal Maine. Trying to overcome the sadness of his mother's death and his father's melancholy and inattention, Philbrick's protagonist, Skiff Beaman, sets out to sea in a small wooden boat to catch a giant fish with a harpoon made by his Dad, hoping to earn enough money to repair the family boat. Landing a giant tuna in open water, Skiff, like Hemingway's Old Man, fights the forces of nature and finds the strength to catch the record-breaking fish. Expertly narrated by actor Kirby Heyborne, this is a compelling coming-of-age tale of adversity, heartache, and triumph. Filled with suspense and pathos, middle school students may be inspired to read Hemingway's classic as well.—
Larry Cooperman, Jacksonville Public Library, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-6. Philbrick, author of
Freak the Mighty (1993), channels Hemingway but adds a more conventional happy ending in this mesmerizing boy-meets-big-fish tale. Of his recently dead mother's three rules--think smart, speak true, and never give up--Skiff Beaman has taken only the last two to heart. With his dad reduced to a grieving drunk and their fishing boat needing thousands of dollars in repairs, Skiff goes for death in the afternoon, chugging out into the Maine fog in a 10-foot skiff on a quixotic quest to harpoon a valuable bluefin. Thirty miles out to sea, he meets his monster tuna. In the best survival-story tradition, Skiff's account will leave readers as exhausted as he becomes; battling his quarry and then bringing it in takes every ounce of courage and endurance that he can muster. For seasoning, Philbrick adds a supportive cast of older neighbors and a bully, then demonstrates that the sun also rises by finishing Skiff's ordeal with the boy wrapped in his reformed father's arms. A moveable feast for fans of Gary Paulsen, or nautical adventures in general.
John PetersCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
