Thirteen-year-old Sophie is the only girl amongst the surly crew of The Wanderer made up of her three uncles and two cousins. They sail across the Atlantic toward England, the land of Bompie, her grandfather. The sea calls to Sophie -- promising adventure and the chance to explore and discover. But the personal journey she takes brings her deeper into a forgotten past than she ever knew she could travel to.

Sophie's thirteen-year-old cousin Cody isn't even sure why his father brought him along on this voyage. Everyone, including his dad, thinks he's nothing but a knuckle headed doofus. But behind all the goofing off, he wonders if he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father.

Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, the amazing experiences of these six wanderers and their perilous journey unfold. Stories of the past and the daily challenges to survive at sea swirl together as The Wanderer sails toward its destination, and its passengers search for their places in the world.

Newbery Award winner Sharon Creech's newest novel is an adventure-filled story of a courageous girl's journey across the ocean and into the memories of her tragic past. Sophie's struggle to reclaim who she is inspires similar exploration from those around her -- as the crew discovers the joys and trials of belonging to a family.

FROM OUR EDITORS

With Walk Two Moons, Newbery Award-winning author Sharon Creech captured the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere. Now, she takes us on a memorable new journey, with The Wanderer. In this moving and adventure-filled novel, 13-year-old Sophie is the only girl amongst the six-person crew of The Wanderer, sailing across the Atlantic. She's eager to face the challenges of the sea, though her cousin, Cody, doesn't seem to be serious about anything. Through Sophie's and Cody's engaging travel logs, the perilous journey of these six wanderers unfolds. But for Sophie, the true journey is into her past -- as she unlocks the pain she has been hiding from herself, and discovers what it means to belong to a family.

ANNOTATION

Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing aboard the Wanderer, a forty-five foot sailboat, which, along with uncles and another cousin, is en route to visit their grandfather in England.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in."

Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination — and its passengers search for their places in the world.

FROM THE CRITICS

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Sophie is a quietly luminous heroine, and readers will rejoice in her voyage.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Creech again crafts a profound tale of simultaneous inner and outer journeys.... [The Wanderer] is a multilayered tale, combining bracing, open-air adventure with personal growth, in its protagonist and in much of the strong supporting cast as well.

Publishers Weekly

In a starred review of this Newbery Honor book, PW wrote, "Like Walk Two Moons, this intimate novel poetically connects journey with self-discovery. Creech once again captures the ebb and flow of a vulnerable teen's emotional life, in this enticing blend of adventure and reflection." Ages 8-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Like Creech's Walk Two Moons and Chasing Redbird, this intimate novel poetically connects journey with self-discovery. When 13-year-old Sophie learns that her three uncles and two male cousins plan to sail across the Atlantic to visit the uncles' father, Bompie, in England, she begs to go along. Despite her mother's protests and the men's misgivings, Sophie joins the "motley" crew of the 45-foot The Wanderer and soon proves herself a worthy sailor. The novel unfolds through travel logs, predominantly penned by Sophie (with intermittent musings from her clownish cousin, Cody) that trace each leg of the eventful voyage; each opens with a handsome woodblock-like print by Diaz (Smoky Night). The teens' insightful observations reveal the frailties of both the boat and its six passengers, whose fears and regrets anchor them down. Sophie, who was adopted just three years ago, proves the most complicated and mysterious of all the characters; her ambivalent feelings about the sea ("The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me... but some said I was too young and the sea was a dangerous temptress...") correlate to a repressed memory of a tragic accident. Stories Sophie tells about Bompie, as well as clever throwaway bits (such as the brothers' given names: Ulysses, Jonah and Moses), temper the novel's more serious undercurrents. Creech once again captures the ebb and flow of a vulnerable teen's emotional life, in this enticing blend of adventure and reflection. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Children's Literature - Childrens Literature

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's latest novel is a multi-layered story that encompasses family drama, mystery and intrigue, and death defying sea adventure. It is also a touching coming of age saga about a girl coming to terms with grief. Thirteen-year-old Sophie is determined to join her three uncles and two cousins on a transatlantic journey aboard the 45-foot sailboat, The Wanderer. Sophie's grandfather, Bompie, awaits the family in England. During their journey, Sophie engages her travel companions with stories from Bompie's childhood. Sophie's anecdotes about Bompie ring true but they have the family puzzled. Sophie has never even met her grandfather--she is an orphan and has only been in the family for a few years. But there is no time to ponder such mysteries--the wave of Sophie's worst nightmare batters the sailboat and for some time the family's very survival is in doubt. The novel is related through the journal entries of Sophie and her thirteen-year-old cousin, Cody, a device that proves to be extremely effective. When the family finally reaches its destination, Sophie is able to gain closure from the tragic events of her early childhood. 2000, Joanna Cotler Books/HarperCollins, Ages 8 to 12, $15.95. Reviewer: Christopher Moning Read all 10 "From The Critics" >