Williwaw!

by Tom Bodett

"Bodett, the genial voice in those Motel 6 commercials, offers a page-turner set in the wilds of Alaska, and he clearly knows the taste of sea and storm, the face of the landscape, and the sound of the loons and the scent of salmon. In this sentimental but rousing tale, September Crane, 13, and her 12-year-old brother, Ivan, are often left to themselves while their father fishes for their living. . . . Bodett interweaves the story of the williwaw, a wild storm that took their mother's life and family boat, with a spiraling series of bad choices. . . . Along the way, we learn about boat safety, respect for the sea, and self-sufficiency in a desolate but splendid place. . . . The weather's majesty and power are convincing, and the sister and brother are appealing characters . . . [with] very recognizable adolescent longings."
-- Booklist

Genres: Adventure, Fiction, Survival, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 1999

About the author

Tom Bodett is an American author, voice actor and radio host. He is also the current spokesman for the hotel chain Motel 6 and is famous for popularizing the phrase, "We'll leave the light on for you".
A native of Sturgis, Michigan, Bodett had previously provided commentary for National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and was a regular columnist for the webzine Mr. Showbiz. He also did the voiceover for "Mime Time" and the "Good Idea/Bad Idea" segments on Animaniacs.
As a broadcaster, Bodett hosted two radio programs. The End of the Road from 1988 to 1990 and Bodett & Company in 1993. He also hosted the public television program, Travels on America’s Historic Trails.
He is currently a regular contributor to The Bob Edwards Show on XMPR and a member of the stable of panelists on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, a National Public Radio news quiz show.
A former resident of Seattle, Washington and Homer, Alaska, he now lives in Vermont.

Reviews

[George Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the writing and stories by Tom Bodett. This one is no different. I enjoyed the story.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know Tom Bodett the Motel 6 guy that says "We'll leave the lights on for you." Well he is the author and narrator of this really good book. Great story, for 8-15yr olds, though I didn't know it was for the younger set and enjoyed it very much. Set in Alaska kids Ivan and September have adventure, action, orcas, bears, otters, boats, and video game competitions. Kids being kids, as well as doing some really cool stuff most of us just get to dream about. Their Dad is a commercial fisherman and is gone for chunks of time and the kids are alone. The slice-of-life descriptions are well written: of the people and natural beauty around them; the relationship with their father; and with the other main adult in their lives, Harry the mailman, who’s a real character: “I was sicker ‘n a dirty sock”, “Holy Berries and Mother of Cod!”. Mother Nature throws a curveball, providing some edge-of-your-seat action, during which the kids show all their MacGyver skills and self-reliance. Really transports you into their world.

[Lilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

i read this for a book report in 6th grade...ehh... not the best

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK BUT THEY KEPT GETTING INTO TROUBLE!!!!!! IVAN IS SOOOO FUNNY IN THE BOOK!!!!

[Chanelle S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ivan and September live in a really remote part of Alaska, on a bay in the wilderness. The nearest town is an hour away by boat, across a big open bay. They live in a cabin with no phones or electricity except the large batteries which run the shortwave radios, their only link with the outside world. While their dad is away for two weeks fishing to earn the money they need to live, Ivan and September, who are 12 and 13, have only two rules: the first one is don’t hook up video games to the radio batteries. And the other rule is stay off the bay, which is prone to really violent storms called Williwaws—willliwaws come on quickly, and the wind and waves they whip up are so intense that there’s no fighting them.

September is fine with that, but Ivan gets really bored. When September is asleep, Ivan reaches behind the radio and breaks rule number one: he finds the places where he’s scraped the coating off the wires so he can hook up his video game for a while, but in the dark, he gets the wires mixed up. When he boots it up, suddenly the face of the game glows a bright yellow, and the music on the radio gets really loud, and then zap—both go black and silent. Ivan reaches behind the radio again to check his connections, and as soon as he does, he hears a sound like a sparkler and sees a little whiff of gray smoke floating toward the ceiling, reeking of burned plastic. He’s fried his video game and both radios—they’ve got no way to contact anyone.

Now the only thing they can do if they’re going to keep Dad from finding out is break rule number two: they’ve got to sneak across the treacherous bay to town in their tiny boat to try to fix the radios before Dad calls again in a few days. But autumn is unpredictable, and they never know when a williwaw will strike!

(Review: Somewhat slow moving to set up the big williwaw adventure that you know is coming from the cover of the book, but it's a good story of getting yourself into trouble and then making it worse by digging the hole even deeper. Once the williwaw starts, it's really exciting, too.)

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Review of the Audiobook

Published in 2000 by Random House Audio
Read by the author, Tom Bodett.
Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Unabridged

Thirteen year old September Crane and her 12 year old brother Ivan live on Bag Bay in Alaska, practically in the middle of nowhere - and they love it, mostly. They enjoy the interaction with nature, they know the bay and how to travel across it. They know how to get clams, how to put vegetables away for the winter and just about how to do everything else for themselves.


They have to know because their father is a fisherman is often gone for a few weeks at a time. Their mother died on the bay, killed by a rare, powerful storm front called a williwaw, when they were much younger.

Their father trusts them to follow the rules and take care of themselves so long as they check in with him on the radio on a regular basis. But, when Ivan decides to splice into the charger for the radio to charge up his handheld video he blows up the whole rig and that's just the beginning of their troubles...

While this is certainly not the best of Tom Bodett's books, it was an enjoyable listen as an audiobook. The characters were likable and the relationship between the kids and their father felt authentic. Tom Bodett's voice is simply great for audiobooks. One of the best.

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5.

See all of my reviews of books by Tom Bodett here: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...

[Chris Meads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in Alaska.

Meet September (Temmy) and Ivan who live on the other side of the cove from Dockside. Their father is out on a boat fishing to make money so the kids are left alone until he comes back. The only thing they have are the radios to keep in contact with Harry who delivers their mail and goods and their father. And Harry and their father warn them of the williwaw--a very destructive wind that heads across the bay.

Ivan is video game silly. He has learned to hook up his video game to the radio to play it but it runs down the battery. But the one time he does that, he fries the wires--no game no radios. And the kids have to get the radios repaired before their father calls the next weekend. Going against their dad's wishes, the kids head into town to get the radios repaired and find out that it will cost $60 which they don't have. So they have to come back into town to pick them up later.

They do make friends in town and are invited to a party. During that party, the weather changes, The kids are afraid that it could be a williwaw coming and head home. What they don't realize until it's too late is a surprise that their father has for them.. Is there a williwaw coming? Will the kids make it home?

This book is by Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame. It is a good book and a page turner. One that portrays Alaska life as it is.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! I just happened to see it on a library shelf and picked it up. I read it aloud to my nine year old daughter and seven year old son. To be honest, it was a bit tough for my son to follow, but he got the gist of it and was in suspense by the end of the story.

I have never read anything by Tom Bodett and I was surprised by the quality of his writing. He created a vivid scene without burdensome descriptions. When September and Ivan were cozy, I was cozy. When they were cold, I was cold. Without knowing exactly what September looked like, I still had a picture of her roughness.

I think it is hilariously ironic that a book about homeschoolers has been assigned in classroom settings. Of course you didn't like it--some one MADE you read it!!

SPOILERS
I liked that the kids screwed up time and again and things got worse for them until adults came to their aid. So often kids books have stupid adults and the kids have to save everybody. When was the last time a kid saved the day in real life?

This book, instead, flipped the independent children theme on its head. These kids really were independent and pretty responsible, but they were not quite able to handle their mess on their own. But they continued to persevere without an adult until the end.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting, fast adventure story of two children who are unbelievably disobedient and irresponsible, and continue so for the entire story. Oh, yes, there are certainly consequences. And the consequences are quite severe, though they are natural and not meted out by the parental figures in the story.

There is a contemporary feel to the story--what with the video game obsession--but enough historical flavor to make me enjoy it. The premise of kids living alone for weeks on end while their father is out on a boat probably doesn't fly nowadays, and the living off the land part doesn't ring true for this decade. But who knows what they still do in Alaska? The setting is very cool, and I learned what a "williwaw" is.

The kids are rather disrespectful, but I appreciated the outcome of the one relationship to their neighbor. There's also this implicit idea of reincarnation of their mother into animals, which was weird and unpleasant, but it doesn't amount to much. (I was worried that their mother-turned orca was going to save them, but thankfully it doesn't happen like that) Other than that, negative content is sparse.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute book! Full of adventure and thrills!
Two children, Ivan and September, are often left to live by themselves as their single father goes fishing for a living. Their mother died in a storm some time ago. They live in Alaska. Ivan wants to play his video games, so he tries to rig the battery from the sea radio, but fries it. Then they go to town (across the bay via boat) to fix it. They meet some town kids and get swept up in the adventure of life. They go back and forth a few times to home, but then back to town to see if the radios are done being fixed. They finally are. Old Berger the neighbor and the boat man Harry end up saving them from a storm they drive into. Their dad also is there and helps to save them.
This book had decent timing to it, but I did get a little tired of that back and forth to town a few times. The last few chapters are gripping, all about the kids surviving this storm. Very cute. It’s like a kids hallmark adventure story. Good for kids to read. Not super deep past that.

[Fanona · Rating 3 out of 5]

nervewracking

[Kristian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, a little boring at first, but it was nice to see the front page become part of the story, it had a nice ending.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it tho it was meant for a teenager.

[Donna Nix]

(note to self:on favorite books list)

[Kelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a little slow in the start, but then in the end it gets really juicy

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh yea

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a little bias because I’m a big dan of Tom Bodett and his voice, but if you listen to the audiobook, you’re in for a treat.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like stories like this

[Patti Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for young readers. Interesting look into life in rural Alaska.

[C_Kayaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read before giving to my grandchild. Will not be passing along as it seems to justify deceitful behavior.

[Jim Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read about a young brother and sister dealing with life in remote Alaska.

[Mark Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to read with kids and talk about ethical choices

[Jb]

Stand in for “Curl”, by T.O. Bode, which is not on Goodreads

[Kayla Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read for younger readers. Interesting look into life off the land and sea
in Alaska.

[Marsh "Bad Sci Fi" Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a well crafted book. Just every aspect of it is about the best a YA read should deliver.

[Wayne Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know what a “williwaw” is? Thirteen-year-old September Crane, and her twelve-year-old brother, Ivan, live at Steamer Cove on Bag Bay in Alaska. Their mother died one night some seven years ago in a williwaw, the dreaded violent windstorm that sweeps across the bay especially in the fall of the year. Their father is a commercial fisherman who has to be away from home, so the two teens, who are homeschooled, are often left to themselves for periods of time. If something ever happens while their father is gone, they may have to start spending their time alone on the farm with Aunt Nelda and Uncle Spitz rather than at home. And their neighbor across the cove, Mr. Berger, is often threatening to call the authorities on them.

Ivan loves to play video games, but the only electricity in the cabin is from a generator which keeps their two radios powered. He has figured a way to tap into the radio batteries to recharge his video game device. However, one night when their father is off with a fishing crew and has told Ivan not to mess with the radios, the boy connects his device to the radio batteries and unintentionally fries both his device and the radios. Over a period of several days, the two have to make a number of forbidden trips by themselves in their skiff to and from the town in order to have the radios repaired. On the final day, they need to be back at the cabin with the radios for their father’s next call. But a friend is having a party in town, and they end up staying longer than intended. A series of bad choices leads to their being caught on the bay in a williwaw. Will they make it home in time? Will they even survive?

Author Tom Bodett, a storyteller, National Public Radio commentator, and author, is best known as the spokesman for Motel 6. “We'll leave the porch light on for you.” In Williwaw!, he weaves a rousing tale that also includes a lot of information about Alaskan weather, boat safety, northern wildlife, respect for the sea, and the need for obeying parents. A few common euphemistic terms, such as darned, jeez, golly, heck, and gosh, are found, but otherwise I noted a lack of objectionable items so common in much of modern youth literature. It is just a good, enjoyable read. The story moves along slowly for a while, but all the foreshadowing builds up to a really exciting climax, and there is that important, timeless message that even teenagers need to develop moral character and not try to deceive others. Bodett has also written The Free Fall of Webster Cummings and Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier.

[Linnae · Rating 3 out of 5]

September and Ivan (ages 13 and 12), are frequently left alone for a week at a time while their widowed father is out working on fishing boats. For the most part, it's fine. They do chores around the cabin and try to stay out of the way of their nosy neighbor.

This time is a little different. Their dad will be gone 2 whole weeks. He has given them 2 rules: no more hooking up video games to the radio batteries (that means you, Ivan!), and no going out on the bay. At all. For any reason.

The problem is, Ivan thinks he knows what he's doing...until he completely burns out both radios. Getting them fixed means going across the bay to town. Yup. That bay. But without the radios, they have no contact with the outside world, including their dad. So, not getting them fixed is not really an option. Decision time.

Since I knew it was a story about a storm, every time the kids got in that boat I kept thinking--oh boy. This is it. Kept the suspense up, anyway. The kids were personable, and despite a few very big lapses in judgment, quite responsible.

As a parent, I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it. It's like a nightmare coming true. You hope for the best, but man it spirals down quickly for these guys. From that perspective, it kind of left me with a sick feeling in my stomach. Though it ends up okay. Hope that wasn't a spoiler.

I could see teens who like adventure/survival-type stories really getting into it.

[Susan Wight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ivan and September live on an island with their fisherman father. When he is offered a few weeks work on a fishing boat, he plans for the kids to stay with their aunt on the mainland but they convince him they can be left alone. He leaves them with two rules: not to venture into the bay in their boat and Ivan is not to hook up his video game to the radio batteries. You know what happens - Ivan is tempted by the video game, blows the batteries up and they kids decide to row to the mainland and replace the batteries before Dad comes home. He need never know...
We know right from the outset that the kids will be caught out in a big storm, but the story still has enough suspense to hold the reader's interest and the tension is maintained despite the inevitable ending.
Home Ed. Style: Ostensibly distance education but the kids do a lot of natural learning in the course of their self-sufficient lifestyle.
Home Ed Portrayal: Positive.
Conclusion: A story where the characters are home educated to leave them free for adventure.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for the arm-chair thrill seekers. A brother and sister are left alone for a few weeks in their Alaskan home while single dad goes to work on a fishing boat. After frying the radios, the kids' only means of communication to the outside world, they head into town on their small boat to get them repaired. Town is an hour's ride away across a protected bay, but when the wind blows in the right direction, it produces a williwaw, the type of windstorm that took their mother's life years before. The desire to avoid getting caught breaking their father's rules coupled with the pressure to fit in with town kids lead the siblings to venture home in worsening weather. For those who know their way around a boat and have experienced some nasty weather at sea, the description of the ride in the waves is accurate. The writing is clear, but challenging for the young reader, but that makes the book enjoyable for adults, too.

[Jenny Karraker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author's End of the Road, a collection of funny stories about various characters in his hometown of Homer, Alaska. So when I saw this at Good Will, I thought I'd give it a read. I didn't realize it was a young reader book, but still enjoyed the predictable story. The authors descriptions of the land, sunsets, bears and orcas, the often odd characters that choose to live in such an out-of-the-way area, weather patterns around the sea, as well as family dynamics of a single Dad trying to raise 2 teens by himself all made it like you were there. Ivan's obsession 2 video games seems true to form for adolescent boys. Their actions to try to hide their mistakes from their father and people in town seem a bit ridiculous, but isn't that how we all are, trying to cover up our mistakes and hope for the best? When will we all learn to admit things early on in the game and avoid the inevitable trouble that follows when we lie to people and try to hide?