Book Descriptions
for The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
David and his Uncle Owen's close relationship is largely based on a mutual respect for the sea and a fascination with sailing. When Uncle Owen dies, he bequeaths to David his boat, the Frog, and leaves his nephew with a dying wish: that David should scatter his ashes far out on the open sea. In attempting to fulfill his uncle's wish, David gets caught in a storm that throws him far off course and puts his sailing skills to the test. The powerful survival story is filled with adventure and emotion. (Age 12 and older)
CCBC Choices 1989. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1989. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
An adventure novel about survival at sea from the Newbery Award–winning author of Northwind. “An epic, often lyrical journey of self-discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Notable Book for Children
ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water.
David thought surely he was dead at fourteen. His uncle Owen, who had taught him about sailing safely, would be so angry. Owen had died only days ago, his last wish for David to take the FROG out on his own, and sail her beyond sight of the coast, and once there, scatter Owen’s ashes.
David had done this the evening before, but he hadn’t thought of a storm roaring across the Pacific, or of the terror of being alone later in the dark hundreds of miles from home with no radio or flares and little food. He hadn’t thought of a shark attacking, or of the four killer whales, or the oil tanker large as a city about to sink him and the FROG . . .
But in fact, David wasn’t alone at all. He’d had the FROG as a partner from the first—his uncle’s guiding spirit. He had only to learn that.
“Paulsen’s spare prose offers an affecting blend of the boy’s inner thoughts and keen observations of the power of nature to destroy and to heal.” —School Library Journal
ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Notable Book for Children
ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water.
David thought surely he was dead at fourteen. His uncle Owen, who had taught him about sailing safely, would be so angry. Owen had died only days ago, his last wish for David to take the FROG out on his own, and sail her beyond sight of the coast, and once there, scatter Owen’s ashes.
David had done this the evening before, but he hadn’t thought of a storm roaring across the Pacific, or of the terror of being alone later in the dark hundreds of miles from home with no radio or flares and little food. He hadn’t thought of a shark attacking, or of the four killer whales, or the oil tanker large as a city about to sink him and the FROG . . .
But in fact, David wasn’t alone at all. He’d had the FROG as a partner from the first—his uncle’s guiding spirit. He had only to learn that.
“Paulsen’s spare prose offers an affecting blend of the boy’s inner thoughts and keen observations of the power of nature to destroy and to heal.” —School Library Journal
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
