The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech is a honey of a book. It’s not new. It was published in 2000, but sometimes you need to go back to some of the older gems. My daughter, again, suggested I read it.

“The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me.” This is the start of an unbelievable trans-Atlantic sea voyage for young Sophie, her two cousins, Cody and Brian, and her maternal uncles, Mo, Stew and Dock, aboard a 45 foot sail boat. While 45 feet sounds big in general, amid the vastness of the ocean, it sounds small to me.

The sea means many things to Sophie, as you’ll find out as you traverse the ocean with her. At voyage’s end awaits her Bompie, her grandfather, who she’s never met. It is a voyage that changes everyone on board.

Narrated by both Cody and Sophie, The Wanderer portrays some very strong, young characters, characters you’d like to meet and learn more about. Both Cody and Sophie are endearing youngsters, one seemingly lackadaisical and the other dreamy, questionning everything. Yet when disaster strikes, they show what they’re made of.

I’ve been told I reveal too much of the plot so I’m trying to rein myself in. Suffice it to say, The Wanderer is a wonderful middle grade book. It even had me sniffling once or twice towards the end. Enjoy!