Whale Boys: The True Adventures of Melville and Manjiro

Gr 7 Up–Before they became household names and historical figures, they were two boys captivated by the sea and adventure. The stories of Nakahama Manjiro and Herman Melville are told in parallel verse. Starting in 1830 through 1854, both young men were trying to help their families when their fathers tragically passed away. They both found themselves on ships, ­Melville on a whaling ship and Manjiro soon ­shipwrecked. While the book starts off slow, the verse format helps the narrative find its flow as the whaling and sea drama picks up the pace. Manjiro, from Japan, ­describes the isolationist nation and the wonders of coming to and studying in America. ­Meanwhile, Melville deals with treacherous captains, which later becomes inspiration for his most famous works. The text focuses on the time as it was, but also on what each young man went through on their journey, ­making the story interesting for teen ­readers and including enough action to keep them ­turning the page. The back matter ­includes an epilogue about what happened to ­Melville and Manjiro following the events of the book, a picture of each, and a ­detailed author’s note about the research that went into this book. There is also a passage with further insight and ­follow-up about the whaling industry during this time ­period.