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sprucetree520's review against another edition
5.0
For such a short book, it packs a punch. It made me cry, but not where you think. It was at the end when he was rescued.
kmcneil's review against another edition
4.0
I had read this book in 5th or 6th grade and remembered loving it. I read it again a month or so ago and just finished reading it with my 10 year old, who also really enjoyed it. This is the story of a young American boy, Phillip, living on the island of Curacao during WWII. As he and his mother flee the island to go back to the safety of America, their boat is torpedoed and he ends up on a raft with Timothy, a large black West Indian man and a cat named Stew Cat. Phillip is blinded and must rely on Timothy for everything. They miraculously reach a small cay in the Devil's Mouth of the Caribbean and must figure out a way to survive. Timothy teaches Phillip to become self reliant, despite his blindness. A hurricane hits the tiny cay and the results are disastrous.
On the surface, this is somewhat of an adventure story. Underneath is the story of a young boy learning about humanity, black vs. white, and about growing up. My son could not believe how poorly Phillip spoke about Timothy at the start of the book, until I reminded him that this story took place well before Martin Luther King, Jr. Race had to have been a theme for the author as this book was published in the late 1960s.
I loved this story again as an adult. I held my breath, I cried, I rejoiced. And I loved it because it is still relevant and still a great story for today's youth - or at least for my son.
On the surface, this is somewhat of an adventure story. Underneath is the story of a young boy learning about humanity, black vs. white, and about growing up. My son could not believe how poorly Phillip spoke about Timothy at the start of the book, until I reminded him that this story took place well before Martin Luther King, Jr. Race had to have been a theme for the author as this book was published in the late 1960s.
I loved this story again as an adult. I held my breath, I cried, I rejoiced. And I loved it because it is still relevant and still a great story for today's youth - or at least for my son.
gloame's review against another edition
4.0
I read this for school in fifth or sixth grade and I thought it was so good.
jenzbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
A very sweet story about the friendship between a boy and an old man. A great book for discussions about human nature, race, survival, love, and sacrifice. It's a bit like Uncle Tom's Cabin for younger readers because Timothy is the savior figure. It's a fabulous quick read that I would recommend to everyone.
bookhoarding's review against another edition
1.0
NO! Stop making teens read this in school! STOP IT!
baxteria23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
basicbookb's review against another edition
3.0
All I remember about this book was the project I did for it for school. In which my parents knowingly let me make a picture timeline of the events in which I was photographed doing black face to represent myself as Timothy. A+ parents, no need to teach me a lesson about doing things like NOT going out in public in black face at age 11, no just let people think horrible things. LOL forever.
chloetaylor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sardine164's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful simple story about friendship and breaking down prejudices, written for young people (my son read it at school).
Sometimes I find YA books skate over parts that could be given more depth - for example, there are obvious holes in the plot, or characters do things that are not fully explained. I then reason to myself that, being an adult, perhaps I'm looking for more than a young person would, or perhaps I'm looking too much for a logical flow.
Then, I've read a few YA books this year that work beautifully for me, and this is one of them. A simple story, well told, from a young boy's perspective. Maybe a young person's "To Kill a Mockingbird"?
Sometimes I find YA books skate over parts that could be given more depth - for example, there are obvious holes in the plot, or characters do things that are not fully explained. I then reason to myself that, being an adult, perhaps I'm looking for more than a young person would, or perhaps I'm looking too much for a logical flow.
Then, I've read a few YA books this year that work beautifully for me, and this is one of them. A simple story, well told, from a young boy's perspective. Maybe a young person's "To Kill a Mockingbird"?