The Journal Of Brian Doyle: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling ShipThe, Florence, 1874 (My Name Is America), [Hardcover]

Jim Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: My Name Is America

In Jim Murphy's newest MNIA, Jonathan Dodge runs away from home to escape his father's anger. He joins the crew of a whaling ship headed for Alaska's frozen seas, where he finds danger and adventure.

Jim Murphy once again writes an exciting story of a young boy on the cusp of a great, and sometimes violent, world. Jonathan Dodge has run away from his father's house, fleeing his father's wrathful punishments. He signs on as a "greenhorn," a sailor on an Alaskan whaling ship. On the high seas Jonathan finds more adventure and danger than one boy could have hoped for.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Brian Doyle, 14, decides he has had enough of his alcoholic, abusive father and leaves San Francisco to sign on to a whaling ship. From the beginning, the voyage appears to be plagued by bad luck: the sailors find very few whales and must journey to the frigid, dangerous seas around Alaska. Brian's journal details the trials of living aboard the Florence, including the clash of personalities, bad weather, an incompetent captain, and the illness and death of some crewmembers. When they enter the Bering Strait and the ice closes around the ship, the sailors must abandon the vessel and split up with the lifeboats. When Brian's group reaches land, he sets off on his own to look for a settlement and brings back help to rescue the rest of the men. Murphy does a good job of combining a gripping adventure with Brian's coming-of-age experience and plenty of meaty details about shipboard life and whaling in the 1870s. A small selection of photos is included, and a historical note provides interesting information about the whaling industry.
Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439078148
• ISBN-13: 978-0439078146
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim Murphy began his career in children's books as an editor, but managed to escape to become a writer, entering a life of personal and creative happiness and enduring financial uncertainty. He's convinced that the latter keeps him coming back to his computer to write every day and feels that a sense of impending doom is the doorway to creativity. He has never counted the number of books he's published (feeling the time and energy is better spent doing research and writing) but guesses that he has over thirty books to his credit. Jim's work has been honored with numerous awards, including two American Llibrary Association Newbery Honor Book Awards, an ALA Robert F. Sibert Award and Sibert Honor Book Award, three National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Awards, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award and a BG/HB Honor Book Award, two SCBWI Golden Kite Awards, and been a finalist for the National Book Award. Recently, he was given the ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award for "his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for both genders., March 6, 2006

By 

MAB (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Journal Of Brian Doyle: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling ShipThe, Florence, 1874 (My Name Is America), (Hardcover)

"The Journal Of Brian Doyle: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling Ship The, Florence, 1874" is a book I'm sure boys will love (not to say girls won't!). I'm not familiar with the history of whaling, so I was very interested in what this book had to offer. It's amazing that such a young boy could be thrust into the brash world, and yet be compassionate to the people around him and have sympathy for the slaughtered whales. I did become confused with the characters since there were so many men on the ship. If you're looking for a different type of historical fiction that doesn't involve wars, then I suggest you give this book a try. I recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT AN EXCITING ADVENTURE, April 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Journal Of Brian Doyle: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling ShipThe, Florence, 1874 (My Name Is America), (Hardcover)

Wow. I just got through reading this book. It was great! Brian Doyle is a great charaacter -- a kid running from his father -- who has no idea what he's signed up for when he ends up on a whaling ship. He has no idea how hard and challenging his life will become. Or how he will change by the time his incredible adventure is over.

I think this is one of the best books in the series. I love whales. And I loved reading this.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What on earth!!!!????, February 28, 2005

By 

PianoPlayer8816 (WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Journal Of Brian Doyle: Greenhorn on an Alaskan Whaling ShipThe, Florence, 1874 (My Name Is America), (Hardcover)

Ok, this book was not cool.
First of all, it seems like all it consists of is fights and swearing REALLY bad words at each other. There is almost no whales, which I guess is the whole point, but still.
All he talks about is his brother this and "I wonder what my brother's doing" and "Sean Michael that".
Halfway through the book, they abandon ship because it got frozen in ice, and he sets off walking, and I completely lost the thought of it. I finished it simply because I wanted to see if it got more interesting at the end, but nothing really did.
The last complaint I have is about the epilouge. It never really said what happened to him. He married, had kids and then....nothing. Oh yeah, and he finally met up with his brother.
It's all about "he hates me and I hate him", "he hit me, so I hit him back".
I definitely am glad it was borrowed, I'm not going to buy it, and I do not recommend this to anyone.