Customer Reviews

Thunder from the Sea

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Harlowe has written a lovely story about a boy and his dog. As with all good stories there is a lot of emotion, conflict, action, and resolution.
The story is set in a fisher village on the coast of Newfoundland. Harlowe's descriptions of the coast, the harsh but beautiful environment, and the extreme conditions of the life in the village are well described.
A highlight of her story-telling is her ability to use the local vernacular to bring her characters to life.
The story is a familiar one: an orphan boy who desperately wants to belong to a family and a rescued dog who becomes an integral part of his life and that of the village. A childless couple bring the boy into their home and he begins the life of a fisherman with his foster dad.
During a stormy fishing expedition they rescue a drowning dog that fills a longing in the boy's life.
As the story progresses, the dog Thunder saves the people of the village from a devastating tidal wave, endures an icy terrain to get the fisherman's now pregnant wife to the doctor in the nick of time, and becomes the hero of the story. Conflict arises when the dog's real owner appears to reclaim his long lost dog.
Perhaps my only criticism of the book is how quickly and neatly all issues are resolved. However, for its targeted audience: 9-12 years- this is a riveting story.

I got this book from the book fair at my school.It is a very beloved story.It is about a boy name Tom who gets sent to live with a fisherman and his wife, and he finds a dog of his dreams by the sea in the middle of a storm,but now the fishermans wife is pregnant and the dogs owner may be found.Just read it and find out more.DO NOT listen to any bad reveiws of this book,just trust me read it is VERY VERY good.

I read "Thunder from the Sea" to my 5 and 6 year old boys. They listened intently from cover to cover and we are looking forward to reading another of Ms. Harlow's books.

Thunder From the Sea is another winner from a gifted writer of historical fiction for young people. As always,the writing is graceful, the plot is well-developed and suspenseful, and the characters are vibrant and real. The setting of Newfoundland and the historical background are fascinating and make this story quite unique. Most appealing of all, though, is the touching relationship between the orphan boy and the wonderful Newfoundland dog, and only a heart of stone will fail to be moved by the ending.

This is a good book for a kid who doesn't just love dogs but for a kid that loves a book with heroes with their hearts in the right place. When I read this book I could truly connect with the story and the feelings of the characters in it. This is a must-read for children of all ages!!!

Thunder from the Sea is written by Joan Hiatt Harlow and a good book for ages 10 and up. It is set in Newfoundland, Canada in 1929. A thirteen-year old Tom Campbell found a dog. He named it Thunder. Bert, another character in the story wanted to fight Tom because Bert wanted the reward for finding the missing dog. There are a couple problems but I will only tell you one. Fiona's mom figured out that she is having a baby in the winter. Thunder and Tom help Fiona get to the doctor. But, during the trip over the ice, the ice cracked. How will they get over? Find out by reading this great historical fiction story. This is a must read book!

I'm a mom of two boys, and we love to curl up together and share a wonderful story! This one is one of our all-time favorites...it has everything! Who doesn't love a dog? And who can help but cheer for the orphan who finds love at long last? This story will make you laugh, and cry. I loaned my copy to so many friends that it finally got misplaced, and I am ordering one for a friend to read to his children. :) GET this book!! You will love it!

Thunder From the Sea
How would you like to be an orphan who moved into a new family with new people? Well Tom, the main character in this book did and he always wanted a dog. Finally he got one while he was sailing with Enoch and their neighbors the Bosworth's. They saw a black thing in the water when a thunder storm was on the way . They rescued what was a dog and named him Thunder. " Thunder From the Sea" was written by Joan Hiatt Harlow.. If you like realistic fiction you should pick up this book in your library. My favorite part is when Fiona and Tom are trapped in a blizzard on a sheet of ice right before Fiona has her baby . The feeling that I have about this book is that it is a wonderful extravagant book especially if you like dogs. This book takes place on Back "O" the moon island. The most important problem is if Tom can keep Thunder. After all the dog is not really his. He tries to solve the problem by showing how much he loves Thunder. But will it work? Can Tom keep Thunder?

By Emily

I read this book to our 7 year old grandson over our vacation at the beach (OBX)last summer. With Annie, our Newfoundland dog at our feet, the story came to life, for all of us. (Annie just snoozed) I thoroughly enjoyed "translating" some of the "Newfieisms" and expanding on the relationships which the author presents. If you enjoy reading to kids, I wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Hiatt's books. Granddad And the kids enjoyed them immensely.

The book Thunder from the Sea, by Joan Hiatt Harlow, takes place in 1929 on the island of Back O' the Moon, which is part of Newfoundland. It is a realistic fiction book, and the chapters are a little on the short side (around 5-12 pages long).

The main characters in the book were Tom Campbell, who is an orphan that is going to live with a fisherman and his wife; the fisherman Enoch, who is a kind man that has a nice house on top of a hill, and his wife, Fiona, who is also kind and very friendly. There are other families on the island, like the Bosworths.

In the book, Tom is just starting to live with the Murrays (Enoch & Fiona). He is treated as part of the family and helps Enoch with repairing fishing supplies, and he even goes out fishing with Enoch and his friends. One day, while they are out fishing, a storm appears and Tom rescues a dog struggling to stay alive. Tom names him Thunder, and soon the dog proves his loyalty many times by rescuing various people from disasters. Then Fiona gets pregnant and Enoch is out on a fishing trip. Margaret tells Tom to get Fiona to the doctor, all the way across the frozen harbor, because there isn't much Margaret can do to help under the circumstances. Thunder has to bring Fiona over the harbor with Tom's help very quickly. But then, Tom looses his compass and a blizzard strikes. Will Thunder be able to save Fiona and her new baby?

My favorite part of Thunder from the Sea is when the mummers come to the Murray's house. It is very mysterious, and some parts about that are confusing, but it's interesting to learn about some of the Newfoundland customs. And, later in the book, it's interesting to find out who they were in the first place.

I think that Thunder from the Sea is a very good book with a lot of action. This is a good book about a boy and the loyalty he has for his dog. I would recommend it to people who like dogs and who like suspenseful books. I would give Thunder from the Sea 4 stars. * * * *