Sailing Adventures

Children's Literature

Sailing is a sport that captured the imagination of explorers in the early 1700s, as well as the attention of modern day thrill seekers. The world of sailing is explored in an in-depth look at high seas adventurers, the transformation of technology in charting courses, and the increased the safety of the crews. Today, adventurers race the wind to establish speed records and set out on solo explorations riddled with loneliness and danger for months at a time. After taking a tour of common sailing boats and equipment, the reader travels back in time to the early explorers, to learn of the adversity they faced on journeys and the discoveries they made that helped shape our world today. These include the advancements in navigational mappings via astronomical features and the increased nutritional awareness of the role of fruits and vegetables in preventing diseases. Photographs, past and present, accompany concisely written text and create a picture diary of many high seas adventurers. Disconcerting, however, is the lack of images depicting multi-ethnic adventurers who are clearly celebrated in the text. For example, in 1996, Subaru Takahashi's solo journey across the Pacific Ocean at age fourteen set a new world record as the youngest person to successfully complete this endeavor, but there are no photos depicting his success. A glossary of common sailing terms, web site addresses and a timeline of sailing milestones are included. Although the timeline may require additional explanation due to its presentation of dates both vertically and horizontally, the information gives a clear impression that perseverance over adversity often pays off by presenting men and women who overcame obstaclesand surpassed previous accomplishments in navigation, technique and speed. While many people failed before them, these pioneers in the field of sailing pushed the boundaries and set new standards of excellence. Part of the "Dangerous Adventures" series. 2002, Capstone Press, $21.26. Ages 9 to 13. Reviewer: Nicole Bourland

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Simplified introductions to various activities that are taken to extreme and sometimes hazardous lengths. In each title, five to six short chapters touch on a tiny bit of safety, equipment, history of the sport, specific adventures/challenges, records achieved/broken, and current happenings. Frequent full-color photographs, reproductions, graphs, or maps make up the visuals; the action shots are occasionally blurry or have bad lighting. The risks involved in such activities are repeatedly mentioned throughout each book, which may be the attraction for certain readers. However, most people would not attempt to bicycle from Alaska to Argentina, scuba dive to uncharted depths inside a cave, or sail solo around the world. For those merely interested in the sports, other sources (such as the Internet sites mentioned) should be sought.-Diane Olivo-Posner, Long Beach Public Library, CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.