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Mafatu is afraid. His mother died in the sea and now he fears it. All his people know of his fear. His father is saddened by his fear.
At last, Mafatu decides to face his fears. He sails off into the sea and ends up on a remote island. He must confront sharks, dangerous man-eating people, lack of food and water, an octopus, and a lack of a ship to return home.
At last, Mafatu decides to face his fears. He sails off into the sea and ends up on a remote island. He must confront sharks, dangerous man-eating people, lack of food and water, an octopus, and a lack of a ship to return home.
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The 1941 Newbery winner, this is the tale of a young Polynesian boy overcoming his fear of the sea. As a young boy, Mafatu sees his mother die in the ocean during a storm. This instills in him a great fear of the sea, making him an outcast in his society where high value is placed upon bravery, and even more so because he is the son of the chief. After years of ridicule, determined to prove his bravery, Mafatu sets out in his canoe, gets caught in a storm, and lands on a distant island, where he
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We read this to complement our middle ages history lesson about the Pacific Ocean Islands. While not necessarily a politically correct tale for today's society (a boy goes off in his canoe to brave nature and prove his manhood after being taunted and labeled a coward in his community), it is a quick, exciting read aloud that gave us a good idea about the landscape and environment of the Pacific Ocean Islands. I can see how it won the 1941 Newbery Medal.
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Nov 09, 2014
Tiffany
marked it as to-read
Jan 31, 2021
Kirsten Barber
marked it as to-read-soon
