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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good story that really raises Kane,
By
This review is from: Divers Down! (Adventure Under Hawaiian Seas) (Hardcover)
This isn't the oldest book I own by a long stretch, but it may be the one I've owned the longest. It was one of my favorite young-adult stories growing up, and rereading it not that long ago shows that it still holds up pretty well today. It seems like a pretty obscure book, judging by how long it took a listing for it to show up on Amazon.com. But young readers fortunate enough to track one down someplace -- especially ones with an interest in archaeology, diving, and/or Hawai`i -- should find it worth a little effort.
John "Kip" Morgan, a high school student from Connecticut with an interest in undersea engineering, comes to Hawai`i to take part in the Makapuu Oceanic Center's summer program. There he meets a number of other young scientists, including several from Hawai`i, and gets involved in one of the Center's important projects, raising the "Ilikai," a large canoe that sank in the 1860s while carrying a huge stone idol, a representation of the Hawaiian god Kane. Along the way, Kip's friendship with historian Julie turns romantic, he develops a testosterone-fueled rivalry with the arrogant Willis, and he has a lot of "adventure under Hawaiian seas." He also learns a great deal about Hawaiian language and culture. I thought this part of the story was handled especially well, and is one of the thing that still makes this book worth reading. The portrayal of native Hawaiians is by and large respectful, and tries to honor *kanaka maoli* traditions and sensitivities without falling into "noble savage" caricature. The pidgin inflections of Hawai`i residents like Sato Punaloa struck me as authentic (having lived in Hawai`i from time to time myself), but again without caricature. There's even a short section at the end called "It's Fun to Speak Hawaiian" that explains how to pronounce many of the names and places mentioned in the text. I haven't held on to a lot of the books from my childhood, but I apparently made a point of keeping this one. I'm glad now I did, because it's still a fun book to return to from time to time for a good story with an interesting setting.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A major reason I joined the Engineering profession,
By Phrackwulf "[-)" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Divers Down! (Adventure Under Hawaiian Seas) (Hardcover)
Was reading this book as a young person. It was like nothing I had experienced personally. The idea of kids like me getting to do high level work where we would be valued for our talent and motivation wasn't something I really encountered much until High School in the inner city. This book just spoke to me on so many different levels. It's extremely important to me personally to pass on engineering values like the ones in this book to newer colleagues or younger kids. Given the situation in the U.S. where the engineering profession has become so isolated and is usually ignored as a driver of progress. This book does a lot of things very well including being sympathetic to native Hawaiian culture twenty years before the concept of "political correctness" existed. The engineering aspects of the book are accurate also especially from a mechanical engineering perspective. As a kid, I wanted to live in the world of Divers Down! "Here's what we can do together if we set aside our ego's and work as a team!" I still hope working in the engineering profession that one day I'm going to turn a corner and find that world waiting for me.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful young-adult/teen book!,
By
This review is from: Divers Down! (Adventure Under Hawaiian Seas) (Hardcover)
Oh, does this book brings back memories! It was a favorite growing up and was read so many times I nearly wore it out.
It is the story of a late teenage boy earning the chance to intern one summer at a marine research center in Hawaii and having the opportunity to dive and work in the beautiful waters around the islands. There are teens from around the US and the islands who work at the center each summer and compete for top honors. The central theme of life in and around the water and its risks comes through as the kids fight to meet the challenge set by the adults running the center. It's a great story with excitement, risk, adventure, and even a smattering of teen romance thrown into the mix. This book almost guided me into a marine biology career. To this day, I still have my dive card and love to get wet!
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