Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats

Summary: Celebrated outdoorsman-turned-author Gary Paulsen relates his lifelong romance with open water to teen readers with this short and salty memoir, Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats. Paulsen packs adventure into every sentence of this 100-page book. He grabs our attention within the first few pages with a shocking childhood memory of watching from the saftey of a troopship as sharks attacked plane-wreck victims. Strangely, this doesn't scare Paulsen off as much as it challenges him to conquer the ocean's power. He remembers disastrous first sailing attempts, unsteady vessels, and frightening tropical storms that reminded him of his frail mortality. Still, he fondly recalls that every boat he ever knew had valuable lessons to impart: "To show me the sea. To show me myself. And never, ever look back." Though some of the stories are told out of context, and he often takes for granted that his audience has some background knowledge of shipboard vocabulary, fans of Paulsen's wildly popular survivor tales will no doubt be caught by this one as well. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert