Voyage of the Sparrowhawk
Voyage of the Sparrowhawk
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W. W. Norton
Annotation: From a beloved middle grade author: a propulsive seafaring adventure in search of loved ones and a place to call home.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #305463
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Copyright Date: 2021
Edition Date: 2021 Release Date: 10/12/21
Pages: 310 pages
ISBN: 1-324-01972-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-324-01972-5
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2021035966
Dimensions: 22 cm
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Starred Review In England, shortly after WWI ends, two determined young people refuse to accept their future prospects (a grim orphanage for Ben; cruel guardians for Lotti), and instead, decide to risk their lives by secretly taking Ben's not-exactly-seaworthy narrowboat across the English Channel to France. The runaways' goal is to find Ben's older brother, declared "missing" by the War Office. Secretly, Lotti also hopes to find her beloved French grandmother, though the girl unexpectedly received no letters from her during the war. As they travel, the young adventurers find unexpected allies, face challenges with courage, and deal with Ben's dog having puppies. From Ben and Lotti to the tutor who befriends them and the policeman who pursues them, many characters have lost loved ones, yet the tone of this post-wartime narrative is uplifted by the wit and humanity of the writing. The novel becomes increasingly compelling as the journey progresses and the gap between its probable outcome and the young protagonists' hopes grows wider. Each setback heightens the stakes in their improbable quest, while every positive plot twist seems right and inevitable within its context. With promising maps at the opening, many lovable characters, and first-rate storytelling, this chapter book offers a captivating reading experience.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

English orphans attempt a perilous Channel crossing in 1919.Thirteen-year-old Ben's father was killed while visiting Ben's injured soldier brother in a French field hospital. Now Ben has received a telegram: Sam is missing, possibly dead. The family friend he's stayed with is leaving for Wales, but he doesn't want to go with her. To avoid being sent back to the bleak orphanage he and Sam were adopted from, Ben lies, saying he got word that Sam will soon return. He moves back with his dog to the Sparrowhawk, the family's narrowboat home, and there finds Lotti hiding with a stolen Chihuahua. Twelve-year-old Lotti, expelled from the wretched boarding school her despicable aunt and uncle exiled her to, is trying to protect the dog she's stolen from its abusive owner. The lonely, unlikely pair bond. Since Albert, the local constable, will shortly uncover Ben's lie and Lotti will be sent away to another school, they set off for France on the Sparrowhawk, hoping to find Sam and Lotti's French grandmother. The determined pair navigate canal locks and the Thames before attempting to reach Calais, all the while pursued by Albert. In addition to the dogs' pivotal roles, Ben and Lotti are aided by a fascinating series of supportive adults as they attempt the impossible. Descriptive prose captures the bucolic canal boat life, tempestuous Channel crossing, and numbing devastation of postwar France. Main characters are cued as White.Inspiring, memorable, and adventurous: classic storytelling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

English orphans attempt a perilous Channel crossing in 1919.Thirteen-year-old Ben's father was killed while visiting Ben's injured soldier brother in a French field hospital. Now Ben has received a telegram: Sam is missing, possibly dead. The family friend he's stayed with is leaving for Wales, but he doesn't want to go with her. To avoid being sent back to the bleak orphanage he and Sam were adopted from, Ben lies, saying he got word that Sam will soon return. He moves back with his dog to the Sparrowhawk, the family's narrowboat home, and there finds Lotti hiding with a stolen Chihuahua. Twelve-year-old Lotti, expelled from the wretched boarding school her despicable aunt and uncle exiled her to, is trying to protect the dog she's stolen from its abusive owner. The lonely, unlikely pair bond. Since Albert, the local constable, will shortly uncover Ben's lie and Lotti will be sent away to another school, they set off for France on the Sparrowhawk, hoping to find Sam and Lotti's French grandmother. The determined pair navigate canal locks and the Thames before attempting to reach Calais, all the while pursued by Albert. In addition to the dogs' pivotal roles, Ben and Lotti are aided by a fascinating series of supportive adults as they attempt the impossible. Descriptive prose captures the bucolic canal boat life, tempestuous Channel crossing, and numbing devastation of postwar France. Main characters are cued as White.Inspiring, memorable, and adventurous: classic storytelling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Reading Level: 4.0
Interest Level: 4-7
Lexile: 830L
Guided Reading Level: X
Fountas & Pinnell: X

In the aftermath of World War One, everyone in the small town of Barton is rebuilding their lives. Ben needs to find his brother, Sam--who was wounded in action and is now missing--if he wants to avoid being sent to the orphanage. Lotti's horrible aunt and uncle want to send her away from her beloved home to boarding school, just when she has successfully managed to get expelled from her last one. When a chance encounter brings the two children together, each recognizes the other as a kindred spirit. But just as they've found their feet, disaster strikes, and Ben and Lotti must run away. They hatch a plan to cross the English Channel on Ben's narrowboat, the Sparrowhawk, and track down Sam in France. But there's something in France that Lotti is looking for, too. . . . Funny, heartwarming, and wise, Voyage of the Sparrowhawk is full of high stakes, twists and connections, and--most of all--adventure.


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