Shelly's Book Blog

Stowaway, by Karen Hesse, provides an account of the H.M.S. Endeavour's circumnavigation of the globe in the years 1768-1771. This was the ship captained by James Cook. The story is relayed in a fictional journal kept by an 11-year-old stowaway named Nicholas Young, whose character is based on a real historical figure. Nick is a skilled, observant, and faithful writer, so his accounts of the adventures and hardships the ship's crew experienced in this famous 3-year journey create a fascinating narrative. When I began reading this book I was quickly taken in and interested in both the historical period and the characters. I found that the story dragged a bit in the middle, I think because the long series of short journal entries started to seem repetitive. However, the suspenseful ending made my persistence worthwhile. This is a good choice for middle schoolers who crave stories about adventure on the high seas.