Tom Cringle: Battle on the High SeasI, Tom Cringle, two days before my thirteenth birthday, have made the decision of my life: to go to sea. Just two and a half weeks after Tom makes this bold declaration, he sets sail aboard the Bream as a midshipman in England's navy. The War of 1812 is raging, and Tom's ship is headed for Jamaica to patrol the waters against pirates. Tom finds all the adventure he ever dreamed of -- and then some. Within his first few months as a sailor, he's caught in a life-and-death battle with a mysterious ghost ship, is rescued from a shipwreck by his faithful dog, Sneezer, survives an earthquake, and is kidnapped by Obediah Glasgow, a fierce and dangerous pirate for whom Tom develops an unexpected loyalty. Tom Cringle: Battle on the High Seas is a fast-paced and gripping story of life on the high seas, of conflicting allegiances, and of finding friends where they are least expected. But most all, it is the tale of a boy who seeks a personal code of honor to guide him through unpredictable and perilous times. Tom's earnest, honest voice and the dynamic and memorable characters he meets make this an irresistible coming-of-age story that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page. |
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 46 |
Section 3 | 50 |
Section 4 | 57 |
Section 5 | 61 |
Section 6 | 69 |
Section 7 | 89 |
Section 8 | 103 |
Section 9 | 105 |
Section 10 | 120 |
Section 11 | 144 |
Section 12 | 151 |
Section 13 | 152 |
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Common terms and phrases
aboard Annie arms belowdecks Blackbird blue Bluefields Bream cabin Caboose cannon Captain Dally Captain Douglas Captain Van Tassel cheek Cinnamon Hill close coast coat comes corvette crew Cringle cutlass dark dead deck dream Duppy Edwards eyes face feel Fernando fire fo'c'sle frigate gives glance glass gold dagger grins grog hammock hand hanging head hear hold Jamaica Jenkins Johnny Johnny Johnstone Johnny's lantern laughs Lieutenant look Marpole midshipman Newfoundland dog night nods noise Obed asks Obed's Obediah oilskin Peter Mangrove pirate Port Royal Quaco rigging Royal Navy sailors sails Sarah second lieutenant shakes ship ship's shot side sight sing sinking sloop smiles Smythe says Sneezer someone stand staring suddenly sweat sword talking teeth tell there's thing Tom Cringle's Log Tommy trying turn voice watch who's wind windward winks wonder