About this ebook
A thrilling young adult historical adventure novel about a boy on a ship forced to survive the elements as well as the ruthless crew. Set in the 1840s, Seal Boy tells the story of Emmet Tyler, a 14-year-old from the US port of Boston whose privileged upbringing has brought him a life of education and fine manners. So imagine his surprise and horror when he is attacked by thugs while on a visit to the wharves with his grandfather, and wakes up on board a whaling vessel bound for the South Pacific – on a voyage that could last three years! Emmet’s journey of discovery begins as he learns the ways of the whaling ship and earns the respect of the crew. Upon arrival in Kororareka (Russell) in the Bay of Islands, he is ready to transfer to a home-bound ship, but the sacking of the town by local Maori forces him to make a hasty escape – into yet deeper trouble. He finds himself aboard a disreputable sealing ship, headed for the deep south. When its crew discover Emmet’s identity and the reward offered for his return home – dead or alive – he finds himself among the hunted, stranded on a desolate island with only a family of seals for company. He must not only survive the winter but also outwit the ruthless men who think nothing of killing for money.
About the author
Ken Catran is an award-winning children’s writer of over 30 acclaimed novels for young adults, as well as having been a highly successful television scriptwriter. His books for young adults engage with the historical, the fantastical, and science fiction. He has been shortlisted many times in the New Zealand Post Book Awards and won Book of the Year in 2001. In 2004 he won the Esther Glen Award for his distinguished contribution to literature at the LIANZA Children's Book Awards. He has been the Waikato University Writer in Residence and was the 2007 winner of the New Zealand's most prestigious award for children's writers, the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. The award is given annually by the Storylines Children's Literature Charitable Trust to acknowledge a distinguished contribution to New Zealand children's literature.
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