Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Searching... Dallas Public Library | YA FICTION - LAWRENCE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Lawrence, I. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | J FICTION LAWRENCE | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
There was once a village bred by evil. On the barren coast of Cornwall, England, lived a community who prayed for shipwrecks, a community who lured storm-tossed ships to crash upon the sharp rocks of their shore. They fed and clothed themselves with the loot salvaged from the wreckage; dead sailors' tools and trinkets became decorations for their homes. Most never questioned their murderous way of life. Then, upon that pirates' shore crashed the shipThe Isle of Skye.And the youngest of its crew members, 14-year-old John Spencer, survived the wreck. But would he escape the wreckers? This is his harrowing tale.
Summary
There was once a village bred by evil. On the barren coast of Cornwall, England, lived a community who prayed for shipwrecks, a community who lured storm-tossed ships to crash upon the sharp rocks of their shore. They fed and clothed themselves with the loot salvaged from the wreckage; dead sailors' tools and trinkets became decorations for their homes. Most never questioned their murderous way of life.
Then, upon that pirates' shore crashed the ship The Isle of Skye. And the youngest of its crew members, 14-year-old John Spencer, survived the wreck. But would he escape the wreckers? This is his harrowing tale.
Author Notes
Iain Lawrence is a journalist, travel writer, and author. His novels include Ghost Boy, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, The Skeleton Tree, and the High Seas Trilogy.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Iain Lawrence is a journalist, travel writer, and author. His novels include Ghost Boy, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, The Skeleton Tree, and the High Seas Trilogy.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (10)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-9-The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence (Delacorte, 1998) is an adventure story in the tradition of Treasure Island and Kidnapped. Fourteen-year-old John Spencer is on his father's boat, when wreckers on the coast of Cornwall lure the ship onto their rocky shore with a false beacon. A 13-year-old girl, Mary, helps him to stay alive, find his father, and stop the wreckers from continuing these crimes. Both John and Mary are portrayed as equally brave and capable. The narrator, Ron Keith, does an extraordinary job of portraying the several accents of the region, and his narration adds immeasurably to the atmosphere of the story. At the same time, every word is always completely understandable. Listeners may have some trouble with the sailing terminology and want to consult a dictionary. The story is very exciting, and somewhat graphic and violent, with many twists and surprises. Each chapter ends on a suspenseful note. This book will be especially interesting for middle school boys, and could lead to an interest in books such as Treasure Island. An excellent choice for schools and public libraries.-Pat Griffith, Schlow Memorial Library, State College, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
First-time novelist Lawrence gives a nod to Robert Louis Stevenson in a fast-paced, atmospheric yarn that will have adventure buffs glued to their seats. Author of two adult books on sailing, Lawrence paints a minutely observed picture of maritime life in 1799 Cornwall, where whole villages made a living by plundering ships they'd lured onto the jagged rocks of their storm-swept coastline. One such vessel is the Isle of Skye, owned by the father of 14-year-old narrator John Spencer, a Londoner who narrowly escapes drowning only to see a shipmate murdered by one of the wreckers. John goes in search of his missing father and stumbles across Stumps, a legless villain as terrifying as they come, who hints about a cache of gold and makes dark threats on his and his father's lives. Not knowing whom he can trust, John has to feel his way through a web of intrigue and treachery before time runs out for his fatherÄand himself. From the evocative jacket painting of a moonlit shipwreck to the superb characterizations, hair-raising plot and authentic period details, Lawrence's fiction is first-rate. Ages 10-14. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In 1799 fourteen-year-old John Spencer survives a shipwreck on the coast of Cornwall. To his horror, he soon learns that the villagers are not rescuers, but pirates who lure ships ashore in order to plunder their cargoes. Introducing the conflict swiftly and dramatically, Lawrence creates an edge-of-the-chair survival/mystery story. Fast-moving, mesmerizing, this is a tale in the grand tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson and Leon Garfield. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Although it lacks the epochal resonance of the 19th-century adventure yarnse.g., Treasure Islandthat inspired it, this old- fashioned thriller has enough action, plot twists, and eerie melodrama to satisfy young enthusiasts of the genre. Lawrence's first novel opens in 1799; a storm rages and a ship is lured onto the rocky Cornwall coast by those who live off the plunder of wrecked ships. John, who was sailing home after his first trading voyage with his merchant father, is apparently the only survivor. Hunted by the ruthless wreckers, he is protected by Simon Mawgan, whom he believes to be their secret leader, and befriended by Mawgan's niece, Mary. When John discovers that his father is alive and held prisoner, he must try to rescue him without knowing who can be trusted to help. Lawrence stirs up all the essential elements: page-turning prose, ghostly legends, grisly danger, a storm-tossed coast, and a rousing lightning-lit finale. He also includes well-defined characters, from greedy and black-hearted murderers to noble youngsters, and a powerfully charming man who may or may not be a friend. A rousing debut that may inspire readers to acquaint themselves with Stevenson's works. (Fiction. 10-15)
Booklist Review
Gr. 5^-8. It was a dark, stormy, and downright Dickensian night when a merchant ship was lured onto the rocks of the Cornish coast and wrecked, casting overboard its captain, its crew, its owner, and his 14-year-old son John Spenser. Swept ashore by the ocean but unable to cry for help, John watches as one of the men he supposes to be a rescuer approaches a half-drowned sailor and pushes his head under water. Readers will not soon forget the chase scene as John makes his way up the cliffs, pursued by the men who have lured his father's ship to its destruction. Over the days that follow, John makes good use of his legs, his wits, and his stout heart as he tries to figure out where his father is, how to rescue him, who he can trust, and what goes on in the mysterious village of Pendennis. Full of atmosphere and populated with memorable characters, this is the first novel written by Canadian journalist Lawrence. The story's graceful prose, vivid details, and fast-paced action recall the adventure novels of Robert Louis Stevenson. Call it a survival story, historical fiction, mystery, or adventure, this tale will sweep readers along with its irresistible tide of action and give them haunting scenes to remember. --Carolyn Phelan
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7-9-The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence (Delacorte, 1998) is an adventure story in the tradition of Treasure Island and Kidnapped. Fourteen-year-old John Spencer is on his father's boat, when wreckers on the coast of Cornwall lure the ship onto their rocky shore with a false beacon. A 13-year-old girl, Mary, helps him to stay alive, find his father, and stop the wreckers from continuing these crimes. Both John and Mary are portrayed as equally brave and capable. The narrator, Ron Keith, does an extraordinary job of portraying the several accents of the region, and his narration adds immeasurably to the atmosphere of the story. At the same time, every word is always completely understandable. Listeners may have some trouble with the sailing terminology and want to consult a dictionary. The story is very exciting, and somewhat graphic and violent, with many twists and surprises. Each chapter ends on a suspenseful note. This book will be especially interesting for middle school boys, and could lead to an interest in books such as Treasure Island. An excellent choice for schools and public libraries.-Pat Griffith, Schlow Memorial Library, State College, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
First-time novelist Lawrence gives a nod to Robert Louis Stevenson in a fast-paced, atmospheric yarn that will have adventure buffs glued to their seats. Author of two adult books on sailing, Lawrence paints a minutely observed picture of maritime life in 1799 Cornwall, where whole villages made a living by plundering ships they'd lured onto the jagged rocks of their storm-swept coastline. One such vessel is the Isle of Skye, owned by the father of 14-year-old narrator John Spencer, a Londoner who narrowly escapes drowning only to see a shipmate murdered by one of the wreckers. John goes in search of his missing father and stumbles across Stumps, a legless villain as terrifying as they come, who hints about a cache of gold and makes dark threats on his and his father's lives. Not knowing whom he can trust, John has to feel his way through a web of intrigue and treachery before time runs out for his fatherÄand himself. From the evocative jacket painting of a moonlit shipwreck to the superb characterizations, hair-raising plot and authentic period details, Lawrence's fiction is first-rate. Ages 10-14. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In 1799 fourteen-year-old John Spencer survives a shipwreck on the coast of Cornwall. To his horror, he soon learns that the villagers are not rescuers, but pirates who lure ships ashore in order to plunder their cargoes. Introducing the conflict swiftly and dramatically, Lawrence creates an edge-of-the-chair survival/mystery story. Fast-moving, mesmerizing, this is a tale in the grand tradition of Robert Louis Stevenson and Leon Garfield. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Although it lacks the epochal resonance of the 19th-century adventure yarnse.g., Treasure Islandthat inspired it, this old- fashioned thriller has enough action, plot twists, and eerie melodrama to satisfy young enthusiasts of the genre. Lawrence's first novel opens in 1799; a storm rages and a ship is lured onto the rocky Cornwall coast by those who live off the plunder of wrecked ships. John, who was sailing home after his first trading voyage with his merchant father, is apparently the only survivor. Hunted by the ruthless wreckers, he is protected by Simon Mawgan, whom he believes to be their secret leader, and befriended by Mawgan's niece, Mary. When John discovers that his father is alive and held prisoner, he must try to rescue him without knowing who can be trusted to help. Lawrence stirs up all the essential elements: page-turning prose, ghostly legends, grisly danger, a storm-tossed coast, and a rousing lightning-lit finale. He also includes well-defined characters, from greedy and black-hearted murderers to noble youngsters, and a powerfully charming man who may or may not be a friend. A rousing debut that may inspire readers to acquaint themselves with Stevenson's works. (Fiction. 10-15)
Booklist Review
Gr. 5^-8. It was a dark, stormy, and downright Dickensian night when a merchant ship was lured onto the rocks of the Cornish coast and wrecked, casting overboard its captain, its crew, its owner, and his 14-year-old son John Spenser. Swept ashore by the ocean but unable to cry for help, John watches as one of the men he supposes to be a rescuer approaches a half-drowned sailor and pushes his head under water. Readers will not soon forget the chase scene as John makes his way up the cliffs, pursued by the men who have lured his father's ship to its destruction. Over the days that follow, John makes good use of his legs, his wits, and his stout heart as he tries to figure out where his father is, how to rescue him, who he can trust, and what goes on in the mysterious village of Pendennis. Full of atmosphere and populated with memorable characters, this is the first novel written by Canadian journalist Lawrence. The story's graceful prose, vivid details, and fast-paced action recall the adventure novels of Robert Louis Stevenson. Call it a survival story, historical fiction, mystery, or adventure, this tale will sweep readers along with its irresistible tide of action and give them haunting scenes to remember. --Carolyn Phelan
Table of Contents
1 The Wreck | p. 1 |
2 A Drowning | p. 9 |
3 The Legless Man | p. 19 |
4 Galilee | p. 29 |
5 A Row of Bodies | p. 41 |
6 The Haunted Cove | p. 49 |
7 The Evil Eye | p. 61 |
8 The Mystery of the Barrels | p. 75 |
9 A Ship Embayed | p. 89 |
10 Wrapped in Chains | p. 99 |
11 A Gargoyle Come to Life | p. 111 |
12 A Stone for a Heart | p. 121 |
13 Four Together | p. 131 |
14 A Terrifying Decision | p. 141 |
15 Across the Moor | p. 151 |
16 A Dead Man Rises | p. 161 |
17 False Beacons | p. 171 |
18 Men of Fire | p. 185 |
Author's Note | p. 193 |
Acknowledgments | p. 195 |
1 The Wreck | p. 1 |
2 A Drowning | p. 9 |
3 The Legless Man | p. 19 |
4 Galilee | p. 29 |
5 A Row of Bodies | p. 41 |
6 The Haunted Cove | p. 49 |
7 The Evil Eye | p. 61 |
8 The Mystery of the Barrels | p. 75 |
9 A Ship Embayed | p. 89 |
10 Wrapped in Chains | p. 99 |
11 A Gargoyle Come to Life | p. 111 |
12 A Stone for a Heart | p. 121 |
13 Four Together | p. 131 |
14 A Terrifying Decision | p. 141 |
15 Across the Moor | p. 151 |
16 A Dead Man Rises | p. 161 |
17 False Beacons | p. 171 |
18 Men of Fire | p. 185 |
Author's Note | p. 193 |
Acknowledgments | p. 195 |