Lord of the Deep - Softcover

Salisbury, Graham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385729189 ISBN 13: 9780385729185

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2001

Synopsis

Fishing. This is it, the big time. Mikey's 13, a deckhand working on a charter boat in Hawaii. Working for the best skipper anywhere, his stepdad, Bill. Before Bill came along, it was just Mikey and his mom. Now they're a real family, and Mikey has a little brother. He can't believe how lucky he is. And now he's learning from the best, even though he's only 13. Because Bill believes in him. And Mikey won't let him down. He loves fishing and being out on the boat. But some seas, some fish, and some charter clients are a lot tougher to handle than Mikey ever imagined. Take Ernie and Cal—they chartered Bill's boat for three days and they’re out for the adventure of their lives. Now it's up to Mikey and Bill to deliver it.

About this title

Review:

Thirteen-year-old Mikey Donovan has nothing but admiration for his stepfather, Bill. An accomplished charter fisherman who works in and around the Hawaiian islands, Bill is teaching Mikey the ins and outs of his boat, the Crystal-C, and Mikey is soaking up Bill's nautical know-how faster than a sea sponge. "Lord of the deep. It was kind of a joke, but that's what Mikey called him, because as far as he was concerned, Bill was the best deep-sea charter-fishing skipper there was." But what Mikey painfully discovers is that someone put on such a high pedestal has a long way to fall. When two boorish game fisherman charter the Crystal-C, their surliness and dishonesty force Bill to make some uncomfortable decisions that shake Mikey's faith in him. Over the course of two days, Mikey is taught the meaning of character and conscience by his very human stepfather, a ferocious 90-pound mahi-mahi, and an insightful drawing by a wise-beyond-her-years artist. And lest you think this fish tale sounds too weighted down in morality and matters of the heart, just try not to gasp aloud at the splendidly written struggles between man and marlin. Like the fish themselves, they jump right off the page.

Lord of the Deep isn't just about deep-sea fishing, it's about deep thinking and even deeper feelings. Veteran young adult author Graham Salisbury has written a masterful tale that astutely illustrates that almost indecipherable point in adolescence when a boy becomes a man. Heartily recommended. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

About the Author:

Graham Salisbury is the author of Under the Blood-Red Sun, Blue Skin of the Sea, Shark Bait, and Jungle Dogs.

About this edition

• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0385729189
• ISBN 13: 9780385729185
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192