The Kraken

Struggling to maintain their home in a Newfoundland fishing village in the 1870s, Tom Piccot and his family deal with a menacing kraken--a giant squid, larger than a whale, that Tom has survived once and will undoubtedly encounter again

Grade 6-8?Tom Piccot, 12, is a Newfoundland fisherman, like his father and his grandfather before him. They scrape out a living and take great pride in their work and heritage. Their struggle is made harder by the rich merchants, who treat them poorly and pay them a meager price for their fish. The year 1873 begins bleakly for Tom with the death of his grandfather; the blinding of his father in a hunting accident; and his personal defeat at the hands of Edmund Treadwell, the scornful merchant's son, in a fight. (The book focuses on men; the women are barely visible, unfortunately.) But Tom's hard work, courage, and spirit ultimately bring triumph, not just for himself and his family, but for his whole community. Brimming with details about the Newfoundland coast and local dialect, this is a challenging but exciting read, full of adventure and coming-of-age themes. Despite the cliches inherent in the plot, readers can't help cheering the hero on as he gains a faithful companion in his new dog, Murphy; hunts caribou and sees a wolverine in action; confronts the dreaded kraken, a giant squid; defeats Edmund at last; and wins the heart of Rosie, whom he has admired all along. A richly rewarding story that illuminates 19th-century life in a lesser-known region.?Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.