The City Girl Who Went to Sea

Hausherr, Rosmarie

ISBN 10: 0027434214 ISBN 13: 9780027434217

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1990

Synopsis

A ten-year-old girl from New York City learns about the traditional fishermen's way of life when she spends the summer in the remote Newfoundland fishing village of Salvage

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5-- In 1977, ten-year-old Alicia, tired of cramped, city life, spent the summer with her cousins in Salvage, Newfoundland. During her visit, she learned much about life in a small coastal fishing village and reveled in the open, friendly atmosphere of the village. She was struck by the skills and ingenuity of the hard-working villagers as she observed them going about their daily routines. Hausherr (who is never seen or mentioned) obviously accompanied Alicia and chronicled her experiences. However, the third-person narrative, stilted writing, and poor transitions distance readers from the main character and her account. Dated black-and-white photos have much the same effect. They are unlabelled, confusing, and often too small to be effective. Hausherr emphasizes the people of Salvage in this idealized reminiscence, but fails to give adequate attention to the harsh environment that plays such an important part in their lives. In brief appendixes, she updates readers, noting the changes in the community since Alicia's visit, looks at Newfoundland's past, and includes a fishing glossary. Despite all this, the book fails to provide a clear sense of place. --Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0027434214
• ISBN 13: 9780027434217
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 78