  | Polaris Author: Northrop, Michael | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
In the 1830s Owen Ward is cabin boy on the "Polaris," a ship on a voyage of scientific exploration, when illness and a mutiny off the coast of Brazil cause the adult crew to abandon the ship, leaving the handful of young cabin attendants and deckhands behind. The young seafarers are determined to bring their ship to safety, but when one of them disappears they begin to suspect that there is something deadly on board with them.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.90 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 191875 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 4.70 Points: 15.0 Quiz: 72233 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (08/15/17)
School Library Journal (09/01/17)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/11/17)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 09/01/2017 Gr 5–8—It's 1830, just off the coast of an Amazon rain forest, and a portion of the crew of the ship Polaris is on a scientific expedition on shore. When they return to the ship, mayhem ensues as the captain tries to load the botanist's discoveries on board. The six youngest members of the crew, merely children, are locked in the captain's quarters during the mutiny. The escaping crew members try to blow up the Polaris, but the six youngsters attempt to save the ship and themselves. Little do they know that in the lower decks lurks a monster that will grow, reproduce, and try to overcome them. This historical fiction/science fiction mash-up is filled with adventure, mystery, and horror. Readers will be engrossed in the story as they wait to find out if this skeletal crew without experience or muscle can make it back to civilization without being consumed by the monster below. There are wonderful descriptions of life aboard a 19th-century sailing vessel, and each of the six children are given well-drawn personalities. VERDICT Middle grade readers looking for an adventure on the high seas without leaving the comfort of their homes will love this swashbuckling, spine-tingling tale.—Elizabeth Kahn, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy, Avondale, LA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
