A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea [Hardcover]

John G. Thomson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2005 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The perfect summer-reading adventure for boys, this contemporary novel features twelve-year-old Donovan, asked by his dad to spend the summer in Puget Sound with an aunt and uncle he barely knows. Aunt Hattie is ill with cancer, and she and Uncle Bix need some support. The trouble is, only Donovan can provide it, because his dad and Uncle Bix — who was recently released from jail for robbery — haven't spoken for years. Naturally, Donovan is curious about his uncle's past, and the summer he spends in the Sound turns out to be one he'll never forget. Whether he's helping his uncle reclaim a sunken boat, caring for and learning from his aunt, or wondering about his uncle's secret meetings with ex-convict friends, Donovan discovers there are some things children can do that grown-ups can't or won't — including asking difficult questions. His questions about his uncle help him realize the courage it takes to attain redemption, and the power of strong relationships to help people look beyond the bad choices others make and see the good inside them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–Donovan Sanger, 12, spends the summer on Puget Sound with his ex-con uncle and his aunt, who is dying of lung cancer. His father has been estranged from his older brother for years, but Bix needs help now. Donovan is a solid individual, a keen observer full of questions, and gifted with a sense of adventure. He suspects that Uncle Bix has not left his life of crime behind. Bix, a mechanical genius, is determined to salvage a wrecked boat from the bottom of the sound, fix its engine, and mount it onto a '63 Chris Craft. But to do so he needs to borrow a powerful winch from his unsavory ex-con acquaintance Gus Hanks, a racist who seems to be behind the hate crimes directed at an African-American family. And Gus's son, Earl, has decided that Donovan is someone he can bully. As Aunt Hattie becomes sicker and weaker, the boy is challenged to find courage not only to dive down to attach a cable to the sunken boat, but also to face his aunt's impending death. Touches of humor and moments of fear help to move the story along. Thomson weaves the many plot elements into a solid adventure story. A satisfactory, but unexpected ending reaffirms the courage, self-reliance, and resilience of youth. Reminiscent of books by Will Hobbs, this compelling first novel will also appeal to reluctant readers.–Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
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Review

"In this small but well-observed novel, the way Donovan, not quite 13, rises to the occasion is moving and believable." -- The New York Times Bookshelf, June 18, 2006 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions (April 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571316574
• ISBN-13: 978-1571316578
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,088,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid story of a pre-teen sent to spend summer with an ex-con uncle and an aunt who's dying from lung cancer, August 13, 2006

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea (Paperback)

Deserving of ongoing mention is John Thomson's novel Small Boat At The Bottom Of The Sea, a vivid story of a pre-teen sent to spend summer with an ex-con uncle and an aunt who's dying from lung cancer. His summer will involve not only helping his uncle, but getting to know his aunt, coming to terms with her death, and maybe even accepting his uncle hasn't quite left his past behind in this moving story of discovery.