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The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong (Ages 11 +)
What happens to a family when a parent dies? How to cope with crushing grief? In "The Great Wide Sea," a bereaved father decides to leave his old life behind -- to sell the house, put everything in storage, and set out on a voyage with his three sons, who go along, albeit unwillingly and unhappily, their old lives left behind. The story is told through the eyes of the eldest son, Ben, who wanted anything but a long voyage. His 16th birthday approaching, he wanted a car, wanted his old familiar life back, and he seethes with fury at his situation. Seeing that his father is swamped by his own loss, Ben tries to keep up the spirits of his younger brothers, Dylan and Gerry. When the three boys wake up to discover themselves alone on the boat named Chrysalis, they will be tested beyond belief, tossed into a terrible storm, then cast ashore on a deserted island and into a struggle for survival.
Part survival story, part recovery narrative, "The Great Wide Sea" is unforgettably beautiful, filled with the power of family stories as they are lived and created and passed on. Herlong has learned her craft well enough to know that children must be the heroes of their own lives, and Ben, Dylan and Gerry, so brave and struggling, will stay in readers' hearts forever. (The Times Picayune)
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