Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

For a long time I would be recommended Michael Morpurgo books whenever I asked a friend or teacher for a suggestion. Although I never particularly disliked them, he would never have been my first choice of author when choosing a new book. After reading 'The Wreck of the Zanzibar' as a class read in Year 5, I decided to read 'Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea. 

Inspired by the English orphans transported to Australia after WWII, Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Arthur Hobhouse. Forced to leave his sister Kitty and the orphanage he grew up in, he is made to work at a farm called Cooper's Station, tyrannized by their cruel foster father. Eventually, Arthur and his friend Marty are able to escape, and taken by bushmen to Aunty Megs who looks after injured and orphaned animals. The boys attribute their luck to a key Kitty gave Arthur, and treasure it.

After becoming an apprentice at a boat-building business and developing a love of the sea, Arthur becomes ill, however meets his soon-to-be wife and has a beautiful daughter, Allie. Allie is determined to undertake a dangerous solo voyage to England to find Kitty and give her the key, on a boat she built with her father. 

The second half of the book is narrated by Allie, as she embarks on her trip following her father's death. She finds comfort in the presence of an albatross, believing it to be her father's spirit, and begins to interact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station.

Despite the complex story, the book is filled with beautiful imagery, mapping the changing nature of childhood time, and exploring what could have been the story of any one of the young children sent to Australia following the war. Although it deals with some difficult themes, I would recommend it to anyone upwards of 10, but I would expect it to be enjoyed best by an 11 or 12 year old.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Adam Silvera, E B White

About the author: Sir Michael Morpurgo has written over 100 books for various age groups, and also won several medals and awards. His works are often regarded as some of the best children's literature available, due to the constantly relevant and accessible themes.

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Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Growing up, Eva Ibbotson was one of my favourite authors. She has written so many books, and I read and enjoyed them all. However, my favourite by a long stretch has always been Journey to the River Sea. Maybe because it was the first Eva Ibbotson book I read, or maybe it was simply the best - but either way it was unlike anything I had read previously, and that really excited me.

Set in 1910, English orphan Maia is sent to live with her distant relatives, on a rubber plant in Manus, Brazil. Maia cannot wait, dreaming of the bright colours, and all the animals she will encounter, despite warnings from her classmates of man-eating alligators and wild, murderous Indians. But when she arrives in Manus, she is taken aback by the unwelcoming nature of her cousins and forbidden to leave their compound, begins to have her own adventures.

Over the course of the book, Maia meets a mysterious "Indian" with an inheritance, an up-and-coming actor dreading growing up, and embarks on a remarkable journey along the Amazon in search of a giant sloth.

This book will appeal to children of a range of ages, and although it would probably be best enjoyed by 9-13 year olds, it is accessible to everyone, and would probably make a fun bedtime reading book with a parent for a slightly younger child!

I really recommend this book, it is so enjoyable, with constant twists and turns, and never a dull moment. It is sure to be a fun read, that you won't be able to put down! 

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

If you liked this author you might like: Adam Silvera, E B White

About the author: Eva Ibbotson was an Austrian-born British novelist, best known for her work in romance and children's fantasy. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2010, having written over a dozen successful children's books.

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Duo of Sarah Lean books: 

The Riverbank Otter and Duckling Days

I would recommend these two amusing books to a slightly younger age group (7+). They were very entertaining and made me think about my grandmothers and our society today.

The Riverbank Otter

There is only one way to say this: May Days, grandmother to Tiger Days, is not your storybook grandmother. In fact, she is not very normal at all.

                                                                                           

This story is about a girl called Tiger. Her grandmother, May Days, lives at Willowgate House, and when Tiger visits, there is always a surprise waiting for her. In ‘The Riverbank Otter’, Tiger makes a new friend, Lucky, an otter. She is given important jobs by the vet, to feed and care for Lucky, but also to find him a suitable home on the river.

Meanwhile, things with her friend Tom are starting to get a bit complicated. Tiger wants the old boatshed to be a nature-spotters den, but Tom wants to be a pirate explorer. They fix up an old boat and use it to both of their advantages. This book has a happy ending and I enjoyed it.

Duckling Days

Once again, I enjoyed this book, but I felt younger children could also enjoy it.

In this escapade, Tiger is asked to look after some duckling eggs. Soon enough, the ducklings are making mischief wherever they go as they learn to walk and swim. But, they need a home and Tiger has to find one.

To add to this drama, Tiger finds out some information and thinks May Days is going to go back to Africa! She discovers the history of Willowgate House, uncovers mysterious secrets and reorganises an event which used to be annual as well as finding hidden artefacts! It sure is a busy trip for Tiger, May and their duckling friends!

FictionFan1 Rating: 7.5/10

NOTE: These are the 3^rd and 4^th books in the series of four but I don’t think it matters if you haven’t read the others.

If you liked this author you might like: Holly Webb

About the author: Sarah Lean is an English children’s author. Her most famous book is ‘A Dog Called Homeless’ which she wrote in 2012.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘Tin' by Pádraig Kenny.