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Skiff Beaman has a boatload of problems. Ever since his mother died, his father doesn’t want to get up off the TV couch–even when the Mary Rose, his fishing boat, sinks at the dock. Twelve-year-old Skiff’s been bailing out Rose by himself for months, getting up before dawn to pump out the bilge and keep her floating–just in case his dad decides to put his beer aside and get up and go fishing. But once a boat has gone under you can’t bail it out. With a nod to Hemingway, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick presents a starkly dramatic yet poignant story about a determined boy who refuses to give up, despite overwhelming odds. Skiff Beaman makes a choice to take on the world–but can he possibly beat the odds and win?
Skiff Beaman has a boatload of problems. Ever since his mother died, his father doesn’t want to get up off the TV couch–even when the Mary Rose, his fishing boat, sinks at the dock. Twelve-year-old Skiff’s been bailing out Rose by himself for months, getting up before dawn to pump out the bilge and keep her floating–just in case his dad decides to put his beer aside and get up and go fishing. But once a boat has gone under you can’t bail it out. With a nod to Hemingway, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick presents a starkly dramatic yet poignant story about a determined boy who refuses to give up, despite overwhelming odds. Skiff Beaman makes a choice to take on the world–but can he possibly beat the odds and win?
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Due to publisher restrictions the library cannot purchase additional copies of this title, and we apologize if there is a long waiting list. Be sure to check for other copies, because there may be other editions available.
Rodman Philbrick is the author of more than a dozen novels for adults and young adults including the critically acclaimed Freak the Mighty, which was made into a major motion picture.
Reviews-
February 16, 2004 Philbrick's (Freak the Mighty ) evocative tale may tip the hat to Hemingway's classic through its clever title, as well as its clean, direct prose and minimal dialogue, but it has an ending more palatable to a young audience. The 12-year-old narrator wrestles with his own Great Fish and with a devastating loss. Skiff Beaman's beloved mother has recently passed away as the story opens, sending his fisherman father into an alcoholic ennui. While Skiff's father spends day and night on the couch, watching TV and drinking himself to sleep, the family's boat, Mary Rose (named for his mother), sinks at the dock. Skiff, who sees the boat as a symbol of his family, works feverishly to bail it out and mend the damages. But the engine repairs seem impossibly expensive. Young Skiff comes up with a plan to make money by catching lobster—until his nemesis sabotages the traps. Then he decides to follow his father's trade and harpoon a bluefin tuna. How the plucky hero takes to the sea in his small boat, determined to catch a monster fish and save both his father's boat and his pride makes for a suspenseful read, and culminates in a 70-plus–page action sequence that inspires awe for both man and nature. This thrilling and elegant book overflows with detail about life at sea, but will hold the interest of even the most stalwart landlubber. Ages 9-up.
July 18, 2005 "Philbrick's evocative tale may tip the hat to Hemingway's classic through its clever title, as well as its clean, direct prose and minimal dialogue," wrote PW , "but it has an ending more palatable to a young audience." Ages 9-12.
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