Reviews
The Cay by Theodore Taylor.
Eleven year old Philip Enright, Jr. is excited when the Germans invade the small island of Curaçao in the city of Willemstad in the Caribbean Sea in February 1942 during World War 2. There island is designed like the country of Holland. War has always been a game to him and his friend Henrik Van Boven and they are excited to be near the action.
His mother feels exactly the opposite and decides to go back to Virginia were she was born. While Phillip’s father, who works at an oil refinery, stays behind. Phillip doesn’t want to go and his father doesn’t want them to go either. But Phillip has no choice in the matter and they leave.
While on their way to Virginia the freighter they are travailing on the S.S. Hato is torpedoed by German submarines and Phillip is separated from his mother and nocked unconscious by a piece of wood. When he comes to he finds himself floating on a raft with no land in sight. His only companion an old black man from the West Indian named Timothy and a cat named Stew Cat. Then when you think things can’t get any worse, they do, and Phillip becomes blind.
After a few days on the sea they land a small cay near a place called Devils Mouth. As they live on the island, Timothy teaches Phillip to survive even though he’s blind. A hurricane strikes the island and Timothy dies. Now Phillip most survive alone. With only Stew Cat to help him. He is able to attract a planes attention and his rescued along with Stew Cat. After an operation he is restored his sight even though he has to wear glasses. And he dreams of finding the island again.
A Dogs Life by Anne Martin.
Squirrel, a multi breed dog, lives in the shed behind the Merrions house with her brother Bone and her mother Stream. They are the two survivors of five puppies.
Stream teaches Squirrel and Bone how to hunt. How to fend for themselves. And how to avoid humans.
When their mother disappears Bone decides to head out on his own and Squirrel follows.
Two humans named Mercy and George consider adopting them. Then George decides he doesn’t want them and throws them out the car window in an mall parking lot. Both Squirrel and Bone are injured. Some shoppers take Bone but they leave Squirrel. Then Squirrel meets another girl dog named Moon and they become friends. Then Squirrel and Moon are hit by a car. The family that hit them takes them to the vet. Squirrels leg is broken and Moon is dead. Squirrel is treated and renamed Daisy.
The family that hit her adopts her and takes her to their summer home where she lives in the garage and plays with the children. But when the family leaves their summer home Squirrel is left on her own again.
For the next couple of years she wanders around until she finds the parking lot where she last saw Bone. She tries to find him but she is unable to.
A couple of years later she finds shelter inside a shed that belongs to a lady named Susan. Both Susan and Squirrel try to gain each other’s trust. Susan had a dog named Maxie who died and decides to name Squirrel Addie. They live together for the rest of their lives.
Aldo’s Fantastic Movie Palace by Johnathan Frisen.
When fourteen year old Chloe Ludeen is scared by her father Ray when testing out one his inventions. She is called Scarface by her class mates and is made fun of. Her father feels so guilty he can’t even look at her. The only place she feels happy is in her great grandfather’s movie theater where no one can see her face.
One day she meets a blind boy named Nick. Even though Nick isn’t the friendliest person in the world a friendship stars to form. They both love movies and Nick asks her to help her with writing his own movie. When they have a fight about the changes that Chloe made Nick throws the papers at her. When they miss her and land in front of the movie reel. The reel cuts thought the papers and put the story onto the screen and Chloe and Nick go into the story. In this mythical adventure Chloe learns what it is like in her father’s place. While on their adventure Chloe learns that Nick only has a few months to live. When they get back Nick gets sick and dies. And Choe is finally able to forgive her father.
Anna’s World by Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin.
When a flood destroys her father’s store and she gets sick fourteen year old Anna Coburn is sent to live to live with a Shaker community. Their strict ways are very hard for Anna. While living with them she finds out that her father’s friend Seth, who is also a Shaker, is stealing from the Quaker community. When he finds out that she knows he locks her up in a closet and takes off with the remaining money. When her father finally comes and gets her she finds that he has remarried.
After living with her father and new stepmother for a while and finds out that Seth is in a business venture with her father she tries to warn him. But her father doesn’t listen. When Seth tries to kill her and she escapes Anna decides to go back to the Shaker community. She writes her father a letter explaining what happened and where she was. When her father comes to see her she tells him what she has decided and leaves.
