Items related to A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea
From swimming to the bottom of the ocean to reclaim a sunken boat, to standing up to bullies, to asking questions that might have painful answers, twelve year-old Donovan Sanger has some capabilities that the grown-ups around don't. This is why his dad has asked Donovan to go spend the summer with an Aunt and Uncle he barely knows. Aunt Hattie has become very ill with lung cancer and she and Uncle Bix need "a little moral support," as Donovan’s dad puts it. Uncle Bix is a mechanical genius who just a couple of years ago was released from jail for his role in a robbery. Before a week goes by, Donovan is sent underwater in a wetsuit so small he can barely breathe, is given a very short haircut in his sleep by Uncle Bix, who says it will "give him some strength," and learns that his uncle’s criminal past might be something he has not entirely left behind. As the summer progresses, Donovan helps brings a boat up from the bottom of Puget Sound and care for his Aunt, all the while trying to discover just what Uncle Bix is doing at secret meetings with his ex-convict friends.
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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:
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
"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
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- PublisherMilkweed Editions
- Publication date2005
- ISBN 10 1571316566
- ISBN 13 9781571316561
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages148
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. When twelve-year-old Donovan Sanger is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Bixan ex-conand his Aunt Hattie, who is dying from lung cancer, he does not know what to expect. But at least hell get away from his twin sisters, Holly and Heather, The Two Hs, who once painted his toes while he slept. Before a week goes by, Donovan is recruited to help Bix retrieve the motor from a sunken boat, given a flattop short as a golf green, and learns that his uncles criminal past might be something he has not entirely left behind.A perfect reading adventurehailed as moving and believable (New York Times)A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea is a rich exploration of 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. 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. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781571316561
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A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea (Paperback)
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. When twelve-year-old Donovan Sanger is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Bixan ex-conand his Aunt Hattie, who is dying from lung cancer, he does not know what to expect. But at least hell get away from his twin sisters, Holly and Heather, The Two Hs, who once painted his toes while he slept. Before a week goes by, Donovan is recruited to help Bix retrieve the motor from a sunken boat, given a flattop short as a golf green, and learns that his uncles criminal past might be something he has not entirely left behind.A perfect reading adventurehailed as moving and believable (New York Times)A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea is a rich exploration of 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. 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. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781571316561
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