Charlotte Doyle sails from England to Rhode Island sans adult supervision. Adventure ensues.
My thoughts
"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity, and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon, and by moonlight."—Robertson Davies
My youth is over, so I'm working with a limited number of books here, but I've noticed remarkable differences in the books I've reread as an adult. When I first read Charlotte Doyle as an elementary schooler, I loved the historical setting and the strong character Charlotte became over the course of the book. Nearly 20 years later, that was about all I could remember. The details had completely escaped me.
As it turns out, Charlotte's growth from sheltered little miss to self-confident young woman is the most powerful part of the book, and I'm not surprised it resonated with my eleven-year-old self. This time around, I was struck by how well-researched the book is and how deftly Avi shares historical details and nautical expertise without pausing the action or being condescending. That alone would have made the book worth it, but the engrossing plot elevates it even further.
Charlotte Doyle was the Newbery Honor Book for 1991, and it richly deserved that award. I'd be curious to reread Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee, which won the top honor that year, because I remember loving that book too.
Bottom line
A truly great read in both youth and maturity. I'm willing to predict it will hold up for old age too.
Fine print
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi
Genre: Young adult historical fiction
Photo from Goodreads
I bought this book.
First read in 1992; reread October 2011
I loved this book, too. I should follow your example - I have a shelf-full of books I read and re-read through the years that would doubtless be just as good (even better?) this time around.
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