Shipwreck Season [Hardcover]

Donna Hill (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Sixteen-year-old Daniel is appalled at the prospect of spending eight months at the lifesavers' station. And yet, in the autumn of 1880, Daniel finds himself on the train to Cape Cod, where he will live among the coarse, dull surfmen and take orders from his crude, unsympathetic uncle, Captain Alder, the man in charge. At first Daniel's new life seems as comfortless and unrewarding as he had imagined, but the work is unexpectedly challenging, and to his surprise Daniel finds himself beginning to respect and admire the surfmen who risk their lives to save those lost in shipwrecks off the coast. Breathtaking adventure punctuates this lively, insightful coming-of-age story. An afterword traces the history of U.S. lifesaving from its origins to the present-day Coast Guard.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8AIn the 1800s, crews of surfmen patrolled the treacherous Eastern coastline of America and rescued passengers and cargo from shipwrecks. Daniel, a 16-year-old from Boston, is doing poorly in school and begins to associate with the wrong crowd. His mother sends him to live with his demanding uncle, who is the captain of one of the crews. At first, Daniel detests his new environment and feels far superior to the unrefined men who made up the crew. However, as he adjusts to his new living conditions and takes part in their drills, he learns to appreciate the men's noble qualities and eventually wants to become one of them. In addition to his lifestyle changes, Daniel must also overcome a fear of heights. He later becomes a crucial player in the competition between different crews, and he even plays Cupid in the romance of one of the crewmen. While most of the action is in the daily details, in one daring rescue episode, Daniel proves that he is growing up. The historical period is nicely captured and the portrayal of the seacoast environment is in simple, but beautiful prose. The characters are well drawn and interesting. A short history of the United States Life-Saving Service is appended.ATim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In this rousing cousin to Kipling's Captains Courageous, a teenage Boston dandy catches up on life lessons when he is consigned to a lifesaving station on Cape Cod. Furious at being forced to leave his high-living friends, Daniel arrives at isolated Perkins Hollow Station surly and arrogant, but after the boat crew's warm welcome and an invigorating taste of the work, patrolling beaches and keeping watch over the local rocks and sandbars for ships in trouble, he soon pitches in with a will. Weaving in plenty of engrossing details about 19th-century lifesaving procedures and equipment, Hill takes Daniel from a spoiled brat full of preconceived notions to a sturdily confident young man, then tests his mettle with a wild, brutal climactic rescue that leaves several of the crew injured or dead. A cast of larger-than-life characters, including a Harvard-educated descendant of Massasoit and Daniel's huge, heroic uncle Elisha, give the yarn an epic quality, and the author pays due tribute to a preCoast Guard government service that saved thousands of lives in its time. (Fiction. 11-13) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (April 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395866146
• ISBN-13: 978-0395866146
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gene, Excellent, December 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Shipwreck Season (Hardcover)

Daniel, the main character in Shipwreck Season, is sent away from his home to his uncles lifesaving station by the sea. Filled with anger and resentment, Danel must learn to respect others. This is an excelent book. All of the characters are very well developed and lifelike; they almost seem human. The story is set just after the year 1800. The story is very realistic, and so are the characters. There is no doubt in my mind as to the quality of this book but you have to read it to truly understand it. There are almost no objectionable parts in this book. Occasional and mild profanity is used, and parents can easily overwrite this if they are reading it to their kids. However, in one graphic point of the book, a young boy's body is washed ashore . Due to this I feel that only older or more mature children should read this book. Adults will like it to. Age 12 and up.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, June 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Shipwreck Season (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book! Our entire family enjoyed the story - in fact, we really like this author!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Shipwreck Season (Hardcover)

Shipwreck Season, by Donna Hill, is a story about a boy who grows and changes through his experiences as a surfman. It was a little confusing, but overall, I enjoyed it. Daniel, the main character, is forced to join his uncle's team of surfmen. At first Daniel is reluctant, but as the story progresses, he falls into the routine. He is always trying to prove himself to the other men. He keeps experiencing new challenges along the way. I definitely recommend it.