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roseleaf24's review
2.0
Another book from the inaugural year of the Newbery awards that tells me that racism in that time was extremely complicated, though many were convinced they weren't racist. The complicated legality of slavery at the time of the setting made this book more tense than I would have liked, but it did have some adventure in the last half. It is a pleasure to see how far literature for children has come in the last 90 years, though not so pleasurable to work my way through these books. The Dark Frigate by the same author is a much better book, or at least has kept its relatability much better than this one.
sonshinelibrarian's review
2.75
I am finding myself a little lost on what star rating to give this.
This is an engaging adventure story that is far more interesting than The Dark Frigate, the other Hawes book I read which won the Newbery Award. That one was a slog to get through, while this one kept me going the whole way.
However, there is so much problematic about this book. And so much contradictory. It's a product of its time. On the one hand, the main characters and all of the good characters repeatedly reject and denounce slavery and the horrors of the slave trade. But at the same time, those characters sometimes refer to the people of Africa (who are lumped together by continent) as savage, superstitious, unintelligent, etc. There are also COPIOUS uses of the N word in dialogue, mainly from the villains, but it's pervasive.
So the adventure is interesting and there are clear lines between right and wrong / good and evil, but there are also really racist comments made by all characters.
This is an engaging adventure story that is far more interesting than The Dark Frigate, the other Hawes book I read which won the Newbery Award. That one was a slog to get through, while this one kept me going the whole way.
However, there is so much problematic about this book. And so much contradictory. It's a product of its time. On the one hand, the main characters and all of the good characters repeatedly reject and denounce slavery and the horrors of the slave trade. But at the same time, those characters sometimes refer to the people of Africa (who are lumped together by continent) as savage, superstitious, unintelligent, etc. There are also COPIOUS uses of the N word in dialogue, mainly from the villains, but it's pervasive.
So the adventure is interesting and there are clear lines between right and wrong / good and evil, but there are also really racist comments made by all characters.
kibbles15's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Although it moves fairly slowly, this book is well written. It reminds me a little of [author:Robert Louis Stevenson|854076]'s [book:Treasure Island|295] in that a not so savory character uses honest characters to go after a treasure. That being said, this is not a book about pirates. This book deals with financial ruin, blackmail, the African slave trade, death, and sickness. There is a tiny bit of romance thrown in, but it is not really the main point of the story. I don't know that I would recommend this book for younger children. If you do be prepared to talk with them about Slavery and Racism. In addition, some of the character's use racist language in reference to black individuals that is consistent with the time period in which the story takes place, so be aware of that if you intend to read the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Death, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Murder, Grief, and Blood
triscuit807's review against another edition
3.0
What did I think? This one was both fascinating and peculiar. It's definitely a product of its times (early 1920s) in that the language and style is more elevated than what would be used today. It's also very clearly of that era in how it depicts non-white and non-English/American characters; it's undeniably racist and bigoted, but given that is the norm for the era which it depicts (the 1830s) it's not quite as offensive as it could be. This is the story of a young, orphaned, New Englander (age is uncertain - I had thought teens, but at one point Jo(siah) states he's in his 20s) who works in his uncle's store. A man (Cornelius Gleazen) from his uncle's past (he hung with a bad crowd as a youth) comes to town and convinces/blackmails him into committing to a trading quest to Africa. Uncle invests his savings and he, Josiah, and two employees accompany scoundrel on the journey. All sorts of misfortune occurs, including the revelation that yes, slaves, might be involved. This is one of the "forgotten" Newberys, but for reasons I don't understand it's more available than another of the same year (Cedric the Forester). I read this for my Newbery challenge and it also fulfills my 2017 Reading Challenge "read an adventure book" (Read the World in 52 weeks).
angielisle's review
3.0
I've read all of the Medal and Honor books for the 1922 Newbery Award and this is the book that I think should have won that year because of its use as a teaching tool (I wasn't overly impressed with any of the books for 1922). Of course, that means this book will appeal more to parents and teachers than the children, ha.
On the surface, this book appears to be a pirate adventure story for children but, plunge deeper, and the horrors of the African slave-trade make themselves known. This book was written at a time when pirate tales were popular among young boys. Those romanticized stories revolve around stolen gold without going into too much detail about where that gold came from or how it was claimed. This book takes those pirate tales one step further, showing children how those treasure hordes were often linked to the trade in human flesh.
Is this book PC? Absolutely not, but the language preserves a time when these attitudes were socially-acceptable while also illustrating the human slave trade. This book can be used as a stepping stone for teaching children about the history of racism. I recommend using this book in conjunction with nonfiction historical accounts of the slavery-bans on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to help show kids how the world used to be and to help them understand why some people have given so much to change it (from the British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 to the American Civil War to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and on into the present day).
I wish the story had more action, particularly for the main character Joe Woods. He stands around, watching, for most of the book. Hawes also lapsed into telling instead of showing, which can frustrate any reader at any age. The ship's journeys -from New England to Cuba to Africa and back to South America and New England- are glossed over. Those depictions could have been interesting and helped with the romanticism of the age. The language is sometimes archaic; the dictionary capabilities of eReaders can help with the vocabulary. And the book is free; free copies can be found at both Amazon and Project Gutenberg.
On the surface, this book appears to be a pirate adventure story for children but, plunge deeper, and the horrors of the African slave-trade make themselves known. This book was written at a time when pirate tales were popular among young boys. Those romanticized stories revolve around stolen gold without going into too much detail about where that gold came from or how it was claimed. This book takes those pirate tales one step further, showing children how those treasure hordes were often linked to the trade in human flesh.
Is this book PC? Absolutely not, but the language preserves a time when these attitudes were socially-acceptable while also illustrating the human slave trade. This book can be used as a stepping stone for teaching children about the history of racism. I recommend using this book in conjunction with nonfiction historical accounts of the slavery-bans on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to help show kids how the world used to be and to help them understand why some people have given so much to change it (from the British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 to the American Civil War to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and on into the present day).
I wish the story had more action, particularly for the main character Joe Woods. He stands around, watching, for most of the book. Hawes also lapsed into telling instead of showing, which can frustrate any reader at any age. The ship's journeys -from New England to Cuba to Africa and back to South America and New England- are glossed over. Those depictions could have been interesting and helped with the romanticism of the age. The language is sometimes archaic; the dictionary capabilities of eReaders can help with the vocabulary. And the book is free; free copies can be found at both Amazon and Project Gutenberg.
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