Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea

Rate this book
Games of tag on the deck; swings tied to the masts; a floating farmyard filled with chickens and ducks and even a pig; exotic pets, including a mongoose, a monkey, a kangaroo; studying astronomy and celestial navigation under the stars and geography with firsthand visits all over the world. This was the childhood of the four Madsen children who made their home aboard a four-masted sailing bark that carried cargo in the 1800s. Based on the journal kept by Captain Madsen and his daughter Ena, the story of this seafaring family is brought to life for modern children by Gloria and Ted Rand. Culminating in a dramatic Christmas Eve storm at sea, this is at once a rousing adventure and an intriguing look at a unique lifestyle that will fascinate young and old alike.

Author Biography: Gloria and Ted Rand have collaborated on many popular children s books, including the Salty Dog series, Baby in a Basket, and Prince William. For North-South, Ted Rand has illustrated Clement C. Moore s The Night Before Christmas. The Rands live on Mercer Island, Washington.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2001

3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read

About the author

Gloria Rand

18 books3 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
24 (48%)
4 stars
15 (30%)
3 stars
10 (20%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
10 reviews
August 30, 2015
Really nice story. Perfectly clean and contains no nonsense. There's an error on one page where the author describes coal as highly inflammable.
Profile Image for Haley.
119 reviews
December 2, 2024
A delightful, true story from a child's perspective about life at sea. My family greatly enjoyed this.
Profile Image for Alyssa Bohon.
588 reviews5 followers
September 27, 2022
A completely delightful children's book, and it's true! The black and white pictures of the real family at the back are fascinating too.
Profile Image for Julia.
321 reviews68 followers
September 13, 2017
A fascinating story. My boys loved it, and so did I.
Profile Image for Michele.
41 reviews
October 1, 2013
Read this to my girls. We all really enjoyed it. It was a sweet little book, with great illustrations. The girls liked seeing the photographs of the ship and the family at the back of the book, too. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Amber.
Author 8 books155 followers
September 3, 2013
Very cool kids book. Lots of opportunities for discussions and an amazing story overall!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.