Fish

by Gregory Mone

Paper Book, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

[Fic]

Genres

Fiction

Collection

YA Salon

Publication

New York : Scholastic Press, 2010.

Description

Eleven-year-old Fish, seeking a way to help his family financially, becomes a reluctant cabin boy on a pirate ship, where he soon makes friends--and enemies--and is asked to help decipher clues that might lead to a legendary treasure.

User reviews

LibraryThing member ASBiskey

This is one of the most creative and well written new book for middle graders that I have read in quite a while. While this is not great literature, it is great storytelling. The characters, setting, and action come to life. The writing is simple and straight-forward, without feeling dumbed down. I

had high expectations after reading only the first two pages. The rest of the book did not disappoint. So many authors bloat a story into three, or seven, or even more books. The characters in Fish have the depth to carry off more books, buth Gregory Mone as pared the story down to the essential, and it stands out as a shining example of how books should be written to encourage younger readers.

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LibraryThing member AndrewC.BG3

The exciting adventure of a resourceful boy who discovers his hidden gift as a fortune-hunting pirate

Fish--nicknamed for his incredible swimming abilities--is a twelve-year-old boy from a poor farming family. After taking a job as a courier for his uncle, Fish is waylaid by pirates, who steal the

package he's carrying. He soon learns that it's the key to locating the Chain

I think that this book is good for pirate lovers and like adventure books.

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LibraryThing member fingerpost

Fish, as he is called due to his love of being in the water, is sent from his family's farmstead after the death of their horse, to try to earn some money living with a merchant uncle in the city. In no time at all, he is abducted by the crew of a pirate ship and sailing on the open sea. This band

of pirates is a bit different from most in tales though. Although some of them are ruthless cutthroats, the captain himself isn't fond of violence, is intelligent, and fancies himself more of a treasure hunter than a marauder. In addition to two other boys on the ship Fish's age, the ship's cook is a 13-year-old girl. (Although the reader will likely have fleeting thoughts about the likely horrid outcome of a 13-year-old girl being on board a ship full of pirates in the days of yore, this is a book for a middle grade audience, and you'll quickly forget those dreadful thoughts, as robbery and murder seem to be the only crimes that interest even the worst of the pirates. Nora's virtue is quite safe.) Captain Cobb is searching for a legendary golden chain, so long it wraps an entire city. Some of his crew goes along with his treasure hunting fantasies, while others would rather just pillage any ship they happen upon and forget legendary gold. Fish however, is quickly caught up in the captain's fantasies, and a bond of friendship is formed between Fish, the other three youths on board, the captian, and few of the less reprehensible crew members.
Meanwhile, the legendary golden chain is also being sought by a far more ruthless treasure hunter, who is discretely following our band of pirates.

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