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Julie Hobbs Shepherdsville Elementary. - Charlotte Doyle.
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Julie Hobbs Shepherdsville Elementary
At thirteen, Charlotte Doyle was well on her way to becoming a proper young lady. Her full skirts, bonnets, and white gloves were proof of her impeccable upbringing. But that was before the summer of 1832, the summer at sea that would change Charlotte’s life forever.
An American merchant ship, lead by the wicked Captain Jaggery. It is upon this ship that Charlotte is to make her journey across the Atlantic to meet up with her family. • Crewed by sailors with mutiny on their minds, the Seahawk becomes a violent and treacherous home that Charlotte must become a part of if she wants to survive.
The Seahawk’s cook, and Charlotte’s friend. Despite being a poor black man, Charlotte comes to depend on Zachariah for guidance, protection, and love. When Zachariah is beaten to death (or so it seems) by Captain Jaggery, Charlotte realizes her own actions were the cause of this. To make amends, she joins the crew in his place. The young noblewoman in Charlotte disappears forever, and a strong, brave sailor emerges.
Charlotte’s transformation into a sailor is complete. She lives in a cabin with her shipmates, does the same grueling tasks, and works the same long hours. • Consequently, Captain Jaggery’s treatment of Charlotte is the same as any other sailor. When she is wrongly accused of murder, Captain Jaggery has the right to be her judge, jury…and executioner.
Avi was born in 1937 in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, he struggled in school, especially with reading and writing. It wasn’t until his parents removed him from public school, and placed him in a private school emphasizing literacy that he began to improve. After so many years of struggling with writing, he decided to become an author. He wanted to prove to everyone that he could do it. • Avi has published over 60 books, many of which have won numerous awards. These include the Newbery Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, and Boston Public Library Literary Light.
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was published in 1990, and received the Newbery Honor Award. • Avi makes reference to the book in his novel, A Man Who Was Poe. It was during the writing of that novel that the idea for True Confessions… came about.
Characters are well developed, with many layers to their personalities. Plenty of action to keep readers on their toes. Avi thoroughly researched to provide accurate details of ship life in the 1800’s. With so many men on the ship, it can be difficult to keep track of the different characters. Nautical language can be confusing to follow at times.
Kirkus Reviews: Tautly plotted, vividly narrated, carefully researched: a thrilling tale deepened by its sober look at attitudes that may have been more exaggerated in the past but that still persist. School Library Journal: Awash with shipboard activity, intense feelings, and a keen sense of time and place, the story is a throwback to good old-fashioned adventure yarns on the high seas. A breathtaking seafaring adventure. Horn Book: Outstanding! A rousing adventure story.
Authority • Social order • Male and Female roles in society I definitely agree with the reviews for this book. Despite all its action and adventure, True Confessions… is not simply an exciting tale of danger on the high seas. Avi depicts the range of human emotions beautifully through Charlotte as she forms her own views of the world. Until this point, Charlotte was the product of her high class upbringing and a parrot of her father’s opinions. Through her experiences on the Seahawk she comes to realize that people’s true nature is not based on their social class. The bonds that are formed and broken throughout the story leave Charlotte a completely transformed person, who is unable to slide back into her old life when she disembarks the ship. Charlotte redefines “family” and “home” by choosing to remain with the crew instead returning to her relatives in America.
Listen and watch the world around you. Try to understand why things happen. Don't be satisfied with answers others give you. Don't assume that because everyone believes a thing it is right or wrong. Reason things out for yourself. Work to get answers on your own. Understand why you believe things. - Avi
A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from safe port…but winds have a mind of their own. - Zachariah This book has everything a reader could want in a novel - adventure, mystery, excitement, and human emotion. It confronts tough issues head on. It explores prejudice and bigotry, whether based on social class, skin color, or gender, through the eyes of a young girl. It shows the power of people’s choices, and the loyalty that true friends have for one another. The serious nature of these themes is offset by the escapades of the raucous crew and courageous actions of Charlotte. I particularly enjoyed the scene when Charlotte climbs the rigging to prove herself to the crew. This book allows readers to think through some heavy issues without getting bogged down. I guarantee you will enjoy it!
Donelson, K. L., & Nilsen, A. P. (2008). Literature for today's young adults (8th Edition) (8 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Murray, R. E. (1992). The true confessions of Charlotte Doyle. New York: Harpercollins Childrens Books. http://www.avi-writer.com/ http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/ http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
