The Stowaway: A Tale Of California Pirates [Paperback]

Kristiana Gregory (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Stowaway

Kristiana Gregory's swashbuckling tale of a young boy's encounter with a true pirate is being repackaged with a new cover. This high seas adventure is full of historic facts and nefarious characters.

The year is 1818, and the coastal village of Monterey, California, is a peaceful home for 11-year-old Carlito and his family ... until pirate ships appear on the horizon. Carlito and his friends are excited at first. They can't wait to see what real pirates look like. But once the ships drop anchor, they attack. And on one terrible night, Carlito witnesses a murder - his father's. When Carlito climbs on the pirate ship in search of revenge, the ship sets sail and he becomes a stowaway. Can Carlito bring his father's murderer to justice? Or will he suffer the same horrendous fate?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?As she has done in several previous historical novels, Gregory brings to life events and perspectives not often found in the standard history texts. In this exciting novel based on the actual exploits of 19th-century pirate captain Hippolyte de Bouchard, 11-year-old Carlito, who lives in the settlement of Monterey, watches his father die at the hands of the pirates and becomes an unwilling stowaway on their ship when he seeks to avenge his death. While some of the dialogue is stilted, especially in emotional scenes, the sharks, the various cruelties of the pirate band, the bloody battles, and the suspenseful tone of the short, cliffhanger chapters will keep most readers involved. Meanwhile, Gregory provides insights into life in Alta California and nicely integrates Spanish words into the text. Historical notes, a glossary, a bibliography, and maps add to this novel's utility as a starting point for history lessons as well as for leisure reading.?Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. Like most Californians in 1818, 11-year-old Carlito and his family are loyal to Spain. When the Argentine pirate Hippolyte de Bouchard attacks the Monterey Bay settlement, Carlito witnesses the death of his father and vows revenge. In a seriously miscalculated foray to sabotage the pirates, Carlito scrambles aboard their ship and is quickly discovered and enslaved to the cruel captain. On board, he befriends fellow stowaway Billy Bumpus, Billy's imprisoned father, and the bold navigator Montague, the obligatory strong female. As the pirates terrorize the missions along the California coast, Carlito suffers their vile living conditions and observes their savagery. Gregory captures the filth and stench of buccaneer life, but the attention to physical and historical detail often slows the pace of the story. The broadly drawn characters strain credibility: the bad guys are villainous, the heroes are virtuous, and Carlito never emerges as a distinct personality. A prefatory note provides the story's historical setting; an appended epilogue, glossary, and bibliography add background. Because little on this subject exists for children, the book may prove useful in social studies units, especially in California. Linda Perkins --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590488236
• ISBN-13: 978-0590488235
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kristiana Gregory grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, two blocks from the ocean. She's always loved to make up stories [ask her family!], telling her younger siblings whoppers that would leave them wide-eyed and shivering. Her first rejection letter at age ten was for a poem she wrote in class when she was supposed to be doing a math assignment. She's had a myriad of odd jobs: telephone operator, lifeguard, camp counselor, reporter, book reviewer & columnist for the LA Times, and finally author.

"Jenny of the Tetons" [Harcourt] won the Golden Kite Award in 1989 and was the first of two-dozen historical novels for middle grade readers. "Bronte's Book Club" [Holiday House] is set in a town by the sea and is inspired by the girls' book club she led for several years. "My Darlin' Clementine" [HH] takes place in an Idaho mining camp of 1866, based on the song of that name.

Her popular "Cabin Creek Mysteries" are from stories she told her sons when they were little and needed a bribe to go to bed. All she needed to say was, "Do you guys want to hear a Jeff and David story?" and boom they were there. Kristiana's most recent title is "Cannons At Dawn" in Scholastic's Dear America series, a sequel to the best-selling "The Winter of Red Snow," which was made into a movie for the HBO Family Channel.

Kristiana and her husband have two adult sons, and live in Idaho with their two golden retrievers. In her spare time she loves to swim, walk, read, and hang out with friends. She's trying to learn to knit, but isn't yet having much success.

Check out Kristiana's blogs at http://notesfromthesunroom.blogspot.com/ for behind-the-scenes stories about her books, and with photos from her childhood.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great read for Grade Four Students & Their teachers., August 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Stowaway: A Tale Of California Pirates (Paperback)

Kristiana Gregory includes maps, a glossary of Spanish and English words and a note on the historical facts of this work. I listed all Challenging vocabulary in this novel and found 334 words to know! The novel is apt for those studying Alta California, the Spanish settlement of the New World, and the attacks of Bouchard the pirate on these settlements. The characterization is realistic. The protagonist struggles with himself over poor decisions and his determination to avenge his father's death. Life on a pirate ship is vividly described. Real life in the beginning of California is clearly portrayed. Danger and cooperation keep the reader fully engrossed in the adventure. Give it a try. It is a short read and adds to the imagination for what could be a dry subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book for 4th Graders in California, January 12, 2008

By 

A. Duncan (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Stowaway: A Tale Of California Pirates (Paperback)

This is a fabulous book for a 4th grade read. It's got pirates, history and facts. It is set in California in 1818 when Spain still ruled Alta California but Mexico was at war with Spain. The seat of government is Monterey and includes the missions. There are so many possible projects that can be done with this book I can't understand why it isn't a mandatory read for 4th grade curriculum.

3.0 out of 5 stars Meandering tale, March 17, 2010

By 

S. McAdams "skbm" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stowaway: A Tale Of California Pirates (Paperback)

This story was a bit disappointing. My third grader, who is a very good reader, at one point got lost in it because there didn't seem to be any point or flow to it. Some bits are not credible (would an intelligent kid try to burn to a pirate frigate by setting fire to 2-foot thick waterlogged ropes?), and Carlito is not really three-dimensional. There is not much rhyme or reason to why things happen, which may correspond to "real life" but is pretty disconcerting for kids used to plot lines. It definitely depicts the cruelty of pirates, with random violence and death. However, it is about pirates, a plus, and it is interesting about the Spanish California settlements. The main point is to make sure your kid understands what "historical fiction" is before he or she embarks.