ORPHANED BY THE plague and penniless, Mateo must find his way in the world. By chance he is made a cabin boy on the celebrated voyage of Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan. The destination is secret, but the crew whispers that Magellan will be the first to sail east to the Spice Islands by going west—and everyone shall return with untold riches.
At sea, Mateo discovers the meaning of friendship, loyalty, and hard work, as well as the delight of first love. But when the ocean rages and brother turns against brother, both Mateo and Magellan are in danger—and it’s not clear if anyone will survive. . . .
“Torrey deftly maintains the taut thread of adventure that, along with the cast of memorable characters, keep the pages turning.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred
“This deserves to be in the hands of every reader who loves history and adventure.”—Kirkus Reviews
"Deserves to be in the hands of every reader who loves history and adventure." -- Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2002--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Michele Torrey first became a published author at age ten, when her story about a dinosaur egg popping out of the kitchen sink appeared in the Seaview Heights Elementary newspaper. Her fifth grade class, located in Edmonds, Washington, wrote, edited, and published the newspaper.
While Torrey has lived most of her life in Washington, she has traveled throughout the world. As a child, she lived overseas in England and France, and spent most of her junior high and high school years in Heidelberg, Germany. At the age of four, she lived in Cockfield, England, where she first attended grammar school. She remembers the handbell calling the children in from recess, the morning's recitation of the Lord's Prayer, hot custard for lunch, and the bratty girl Rosemary who stuck out her tongue at Michele and got a spanking for it. When Torrey temporarily moved back to the United States and her classmates asked how English people spoke, she promptly responded in all seriousness and with a thick country accent, "Cheerio, ol' chap!" All in all, Torrey spent ten years of her childhood overseas. She returned to the Seattle area in her senior year, after which she completed a degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Washington.
For the past sixteen years, Torrey has explored the depths of her imagination while writing novels for adults, young adults, and middle-grade. Her books include the CHRONICLES OF COURAGE seafaring series for middle-grade (Knopf), and the DOYLE AND FOSSEY: SCIENCE DETECTIVES chapter book series (Sterling). She is a two-time Thurber House Residency in Children's Literature nominee, plus a two-time winner of PNWA's Zola Award. Among other honors, her books have been chosen by the Junior Library Guild, named by VOYA as "Top Shelf Fiction for Middle-Grade Readers", and nominated for the Sakura Medal. Most recently, her book VOYAGE OF PLUNDER was a WA State Book Award finalist. Torrey is a regular presenter at writers' conferences and schools. She lives in South Bend, Washington, with her husband. They have three grown sons, two granddaughters, and a calico cat.
In addition to her writing and traveling, Torrey is a director and co-founder of Orphans Africa, a 501 c 3 nonprofit charity (www.orphansafrica.org). Orphans Africa works primarily in Tanzania, building boarding schools for children orphaned by AIDS.
Mateo Macias de Avila must learn to survive on his own after his parents die of the plague in 1519. Fourteen year old Mateo can draw, read, sing and play a guitar. These talents help him once he is recruited as cabin boy, musician, and eventually ship artist on a voyage led by Magellan.
I found this book suitable for older children and young adults. Though the reading level is 5th-8th grade, the material is often at an older level. I would lean towards grades 7-9 as the youngest readers for this book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
To the Edge of the World is an exciting book, full of adventure and surprises. The book made me feel like I was right there with Mateo, the cabin boy on Magellan's journey to the Spice Islands. I never imagined there were so many dangers on a trip around the world! I recommend the book to anybody who likes the sea, history, and real-life adventures.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
To the Edge of the World is a great read that really satysfied me. It is based on real life events, even though some of the characters fictional. It is a tale of courage, comradery, and adventure. I reccomend it to anyone who likes books about the sea and/or adventure.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
