Living in a sail boat would be fun, even part-time, right? Well, Ben is our narrator and main character. He’s living part-time with his Dad on their family sail boat. Brave and optimistic, he’s also dealing with the tough issue of his parents’ impending divorce; however, his good friend, Jill, tries to always be there for him. Ben finds himself in a bizarre and slightly creepy situation at school when a man gives Ben a challenge. After much thought, Ben and Jill decide they are up for the task. The school is set on the coast and Ben is an up-and-coming sailor so readers can even learn a few nautical terms while enjoying the costal descriptions. He also realizes he’s tougher than he thought. When faced with a dangerous situation out on the water, he chooses to help a boy who hasn’t always been nice despite the danger to himself. Even though this book is a touch sad, there are still things to be enjoyed and learned.
This is book one of a six book series. Unfortunuately, this one ends in the worst way–in a cliff hanger. The reader will have to get the next book to see what happens, but the good news is that all six books are already published. The pacing moves along like a comfortable walk through the park. At 160 pages, the story seems a little short at first glance but given that this is for grades 2 through 5, this might be a good start to chapter stories or even a read aloud for the family. The language used in the book is appropriate for this grade level yet still motivating. Andrew Clements, the author, has written around 40 middle grade books and at least 43 picture books.
Review of an Unabridged Audiobook Version
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: A man broke his ankle, no details other than pain but not overly descriptive; a man died of complications to his health, no details; boy has a terrifying dream; boy has to clean up something really disgusting, slightly descriptive and gross; story from awhile back of how a boy busted out his two front teeth, bloody; an accident where a boy is knocked out, some blood and successful CPR.
Sex/Nudity: A boy notices a girl is pretty.
Mature Subject Matter:
Parent’s marriage problems and pending divorce, a creepy school janitor, potential dangers of sailing, overly competitive and verbal classmate.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
