Stowaway [Paperback]

Karen Hesse (Author), Robert Andrew Parker (Illustrator)

Book Description

It is known that in the summer of 1768, Captain James Cook sailed from England on H.M.S Endeavour, beginning a three-year voyage around the world on a secret mission to discover an unknown continent at the bottom of the globe. What is less known is that a boy by the name of Nicholas Young was a stowaway on that ship.

Newbery winner Karen Hesse re-creates Cook's momentous voyage through the eyes of this remarkable boy, creating a fictional journal filled with fierce hurricanes, warring natives, and disease, as Nick discovers new lands, incredible creatures, and lifelong friends.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

To 11-year-old Nicholas Young, the tall masts of the exploratory ship Endeavour look like an answer to his fervent prayers. On the run from his demanding father and the cruel butcher who employed him, Nick finds adventure beyond his wildest imaginings when he stows away on the ship of legendary Captain James Cook. Once he is discovered and put to work, Nick becomes party to some amazing sights. He meets indigenous natives of Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia, wonders at the sight of kangaroos, and shudders with horror when confronted with cannibalism. Nick survives a hurricane, a near shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef, and a deadly bout with typhoid to become one of the few original crew members to successfully circumnavigate the globe with Cook and arrive safely back in England. He notes in his worn journal shortly before sighting his homeland's shore: "We have truly led the way, charting the path for all who come after. I don't know I shall ever feel so again as I feel now. That any of us shall."

Newbery Medal-winning Karen Hesse's story is based on actual Endeavour stowaway Nicholas Young, about whom little is known. Using the real 1768 diaries of Captain Cook and shipboard naturalist Joseph Banks, Hesse has changed Young from a forgotten footnote into a living, breathing person with red hair and a penchant for pork chops. So authentic you can feel the sea spray, this fine fictionalized diary is a nautical treasure for landlubbers young and old. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Sparkling with humor, poignancy and adventure, Newbery Medal-winner Hesse's (Out of the Dust) historical novel, told in diary form, was inspired by a real boy who stowed away aboard Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour on its 1768 voyage. The author bases the story on what little is known about 11-year-old Nicholas Young (he could read and write, for instance, and was made an official crew member in April 1769 when the ship reached Tahiti) and spins an imaginative tale firmly anchored in fact. The brief diary entries adhere to the ship's actual itinerary and detail Nick's adventures (and misadventures), among them his ongoing run-ins with a vindictive midshipman (also documented), the excitement and danger of rounding Cape Horn and the captain's disappointment in the view of Venus's transit across the sun (one of the main reasons for the voyage). Nick grows into young manhood irrevocably shaped by the three-year voyage, teaching an illiterate shipmate to read, befriending a Tahitian boy and witnessing cannibalism as well as a share of tragedy while helping to nurse a crew ravaged by accident and disease. His lively observations (on seasickness: "I can say now that Gentlemen heave the contents of their stomach same as eleven-year-old stowaways") keep the action sailing smoothly forward, while Hesse's impeccable research buttresses the narrative with a wealth of detail. A sprinkling of Parker's pen-and-ink illustrations adds an additional layer of texture, while an author's note and extensive glossary round out this compelling volume. Ages 10-14. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689839898
• ISBN-13: 978-0689839894
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Exploration & Discoveries
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discoveries

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Birthday Gift, December 4, 2000

By 

Dale L. Burney (College Station, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stowaway (Hardcover)

My grandson is going to be 11 this month. I've decided that he's getting this book as his birthday book. Nicholas, the boy in the book, is 11 when he stows away on the HMS Endeavor, which is captained by Captain JamesCook. What better way to show an 11 year old what the future can be than to follow the exploits of another 11 year old in his trek around the world. I picked this book up to read because of the author. I loved OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse. I figured that this one would be as good. It is, but in a different way. I loved how much it taught me about history and how it's sent me hunting for answers to questions it raised. The map on the inside of the front and back covers was invaluable in tracking the trip. And what a nice surprise at the end of the book to find out there was a real Nicholas.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More history than fiction!, February 25, 2001

By 

Bibliotekaria (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stowaway (Hardcover)

Having known only a few isolated facts about Captain James Cook and his expeditions, this book sent me running to the encyclopedia to learn more. It is indeed impressive to learn that Cook's crew was made up partially of gentlemen scholars who set out to further the world's knowledge not only of geography, but astronomy (observing the Venus pass before the sun), botany, zoology, medicine (being among the first to prevent an outbreak of scurvy) and cultural anthropology. The level of discipline and high standards of behavior demanded by Captain Cook were equally impressive. Told from the daily journal of an 11-year-old stowaway who has escaped an oppressive past, but through the skillful writing of Karen Hesse, the story is appealing to youngsters with an adventurous spirit. I would recommend this book to strong readers.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sail Away ..., August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Stowaway (Hardcover)

My 11 year old daughter and I have been reading this book all summer. While it is not as exciting as our last sail, The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (5+ stars), it has really grown on us. It is an amazing real life story of a young stowaway who must deal with all the day to day realities of living on and off an explorer's ship: scurvy, bullies, sickness, rats, cannibals, coco nuts, etc. It's written as a diary, as a 12 year old would have written and seen things -- in the late 1700's. Highly recommended to those interested in adventure, sailing and history. 5- stars.