The Young Man and the Sea is about a small boy and a boat. He tries to save the boat and repair it with some crazy schemes but a hated enemy keeps getting in his way.

Little Skiff is trying to fix his family's boat. He's tied another technique already but a hated enemy ruined it. If this scheme works he'll be rich. He'll have enough money to save the boat and more.

I've read many books and this is the best. It's an experience that will keep you on your toes. You never know what he'll do. He's coming up with schemes to save the boat and get his beer-addicted dad off the couch and back to normal. You'll never know what he'll do next. Will his ext plan work or will it fail like all the rest? You'll have to read the book to find out the answer.

I read this book to my students at school during free reading time. There were many days that we read over our time lot because the kids would not let me put the book down. The story is very good for kids because it gets points accross to them about how this boy deals with several issues that life has heaped on him. It also shows how much a retired person is able to help children as they struggle through issues. I ordered the book myself to have at home because the story was so good! Jean Schweer

Skiff Beaman is in a boatload of problems. First, his mom dies, His dad is as lazy as a sack of potatoes, and to top it all of his boat sinks, so little Skiff goes on a mission to turn his whole life around.
All is well, until he runs into a problem with money. The Young Man and the Sea is by Rodman Philbrick. Never did he give away the amazing ending.
Little Skiff has to find a way to get the money he needs for the engine of his boat. One day while Skiff is at the dock, he finds a man that just caught a giant tuna for millions of dollars. All he has to do is catch a giant tuna, bring back to town, and sell it. The only thing stopping him is Tyler Croft.
The next night, Skiff sets out in his 10-foot boat to catch the biggest fish in the world. While On his way he runs into many problems, in fact he comes close to death. All Skiff is doing, is praying he doesn't become the fish food.
Will Skiff be the richest kid in town? Will he even make it back home with a giant tuna at 30 miles out to sea with a bucket of bait, a harpoon, and three PB&J sandwiches?
This book is mostly for boys, and tells you; never let anyone put you down. It is a very adventures book, and I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.

Young Man and the Sea is a book about Samuel "Skiff" Beaman a boy who spends his whole summer trying saving his dad and his boat. Throughout the book Skiff keeps running into a problem, that problems name is Tyler Croft. Tyler makes it hard for Skiff to raise the money for the boat. Tyler makes it so hard for Skiff that he needs to go 30 miles of coast to catch a giant Bluefin Tuna.

Skiff catches Tyler cutting his lobster traps that gets skiff mad. Tyler gets skiff so mad that Skiff rams his boat. Ramming Tyler's boat with his just makes him more frustrated. When skiff gets back he tells Mr. Woodwell. Mr. Woodwell tells skiff to tell his dad. Skiff knows he wont get his dads attention because his dads to depressed about his moms death so it leads Skiff to go catch a giant Tuna.

Out of the books I've read this has been one of my favorites. Next time someone asks me what book they should read I would probably recommend this one. One reason I would recommend this book is because all the genres, like action, drama, and adventure. Another reason I recommend this book is because it helps you learn if you set your mind to something and never give up you can do anything. Overall I truly recommend the book the Young Man and the sea because in many ways it helped me.

This book is about a young boy named Skiffy and he loves boats. One day his boat sinks and he has to get it fixed. There is only one problem he doesn't have any money to fix the motor. He starts to lobster fish but Tyler Croft cuts his traps. He decides to try to catch a 500 pound tuna.

My favorite part of the book is when Skiff finds out someone is cutting his traps. He suspects it is Tyler Croft because Skiff and Tyler are enemies. Skiff catches Tyler and Tyler tries to hit him with his anchor. Skiff rams Tyler with his boat.

I would reccomend this book to people that like the sea and boats. I never wanted to put the book down so this made me finish it. The book was exciting and you always want to know what is going to happen. This would mostly be a guy book because it is coming from a guys point of vew.

This book was one of the most entertaining I have picked up an a long while. From the beginning, I was drawn into the story of the young man, who in my opinion, had an old soul. His constant struggles and his continual attempts to overcome them had me feeling what he was feeling. I was so angry at one point in the book, I wanted to rewrite what was happening. It is not often that I am so drawn into a book written for chidren. This is a wonderful text that I plan on integrating into 4th and 5th grade classrooms, as I feel that students, especially young males, can identify with the struggles the young man went through. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to be drawn into a fantastic adventure story adn who likes to see good conquer all.

After reading this book almost a year ago (and rating it a 4 star book), then discussing it in my classes and letting it ferment a while in my noggin, I am moving my rating to 5 stars. This book resonates.

This may, in fact, be a good introduction to young adult novel for boys (especially those who do not like to read). The characters are relatively familiar, but still new. The writing style is superb throughout.

If I were one of those Hollywood producers for, let's say Nickelodeon Films, I would acquire the rights to this one immediately. It deserves to be made into one of those low budget, character-driven pieces than tell a personal story of a boy having to accomplish something personally significant to himself.

I heartily recommend this book.

I definitely loved this book and who wouldn't? I read it and was hooked! After the part where he's getting the fish, I glued my eyes to the pages. The book was so fantastic the I recommended it to my best friend. She loved it too. This is, of course, me favorite book of all time! Rodman Philbrick is awesome!!!

The Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick has a interesting story line. Philbrick really describes the setting with great detail. It takes place around the New England coastline, somewhere around Maine.All of the characters in the story show a similar passion for the ocean. They all have a background near the ocean too. Philbrick describes the ocean and the rest of the setting very accurately,because he grew up on the New England coast as well
The main character is Samuel "Skiff" Beaman. He is the character that shows the most love for the sea in this book. His dad was said to once be great fisherman,but stopped after his wife passed away. Now he lays on the couch, mourning over his lost loved one. Samuel has to do everything for himself because his dad is too depressed. When his boat broke down he had to get the money by himself ,and rebuild it by himself with a little help from his dads mentor, Mr. Woodwell.
This book is boring to read if you are either teenager or young adult. I think its more for 4th graders or young kids. I wouldn't really recommend this to any students because it is not very fun to read ,and the only action that takes place in the book isn't that intense. Guys that like in-your-face action wouldn't like this at all. It is a very laid back book, all of the action happens in the end. I personally like books with non-stop action or a big lesson.

If you enjoy fishing this bookis for you.In The Young Man and The sea written by Rodman Philbrick, the main character Samuel is made fun of by a rich boy by the name of Tyler Croft. In this book Samuel dad is a drunk blob who just sits on the couch and watches T.V..The main character Samuel his mom has just died,and he is a good kid who does what he is told to.

The setting of this book it takes place at many different parts at Mr.Woodwell's house,at Samuel's house,the ocean,at the dock. The book is taken place in Maine at some ocean. I say the main setting in this book is at Mr.Woodwells house. Why i say that is the main setting is at Mr.woodwells house because that is where Samuel really Samuel worked on his boat.

In the plot Samuel faces many obstacles. One is that his mom died and his father is a drunk. His boat sinks to the bottom of the dock. Samuel lobster traps get cut open and all the lobsters get lose guess who cut them Tyler Croft. After that Samuel gives up fishing and fishes for blue finned tuna.read this book and find out what happens to Samuel.

If I was to give this a rating out of 10 I would give it a 7 or an 8. I have read other books by Mr.Philbrick, and they were good. So read The Young Man and the Sea.

When I first started reading this book I thought it was very boring. When it neared the end at the part when Skiff is trying to catch the bluefin tuna, I couldn't put it down. On an overall basis in words it was a good book. I don't know if I would suggest it to other readers though.

The Young Man and the Sea


In the story the Young Man and the Sea Skiff is a boy that tries to satisfy himself. His father had been depressed ever since his mom died. He had and idea that if his fathers boat that constantly sinks was to be fixed he would look to the brighter part of things and get out of his terrible moods. So no Skiff tries to fix his fathers boat but that's not the only. He has to get another engine. I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be a preview of the Old Man and the Sea. I think the main theme of this story is to work hard to achieve our goals. I think boys around the age of tea would enjoy this book because it is like a reflect of their life.
I think this book made much sense because its wasn't strangely formatted.
The weakest part of the book was its elaboration because it did not explain how the boat would sink.
In conclusion I thick this book is a great story. I would recommend this story to anyone that would like a thrilling adventure.

Justin F.

This book is about a young boy named Skiff Beaman that has a couple BIG problems. His Mom had died of cancer, his Dad drinks beer and doesn't get off the couch. His Dad has a boat called The Mary Rose, but it had sunk at the dock. The motor was ruined. Skiff got a small boat of his own. He went 30 miles out to sea. He took a bucket of bait and a harpoon. He was hoping to catch a blue fin tuna. He finally spotted one and took his harpoon and speared it! It was too strong and pulled Skiff into the water. He struggled and almost drowned. He made it back to his boat and he tied a rope to the boat and to the tuna's tail. But his motor died as he tried to get back to shore. He had to row back almost 20 miles with a paddle. By the time he finally made it back to shore, Skiff was starving and his hands were bleeding. He sold the tuna to a nearby fish market. It was 900 pounds! Skiff got enough money to fix the motor for his Dad's boat, The Mary Rose. His Dad was proud and stopped drinking. They became a family again.

October 27, 2005

Have you ever heard of a twelve year old boy taking on a huge, full grown tuna fish? Skiffy Beaman is a young boy that lives in an old fishing town. His dad used to be one of the best fishermen in town. He would often take Skiffy out with him. When Skiffy's mom dies all of this changes. Skiffy's dad becomes depressed all the time and barely ever talked to Skiffy any more. All Skiffy's dad would do is sit on the couch watching television and drinking beer all the time. Skiffy is determined to make life better for him and his dad. His dad has a boat called the Mary Rose. It sunk and the water ruined the engine and a new one would cost five thousand dollars. Skiffy just doesn't have that kind of money. Skiffy decides to sneak out at night, get in a boat, and go thirty miles out to sea. His plan was to catch one of the huge tunas and when he sold it, it would sell for enough money to pay for the engine. Even after running out of gas and having to row the boat and the one hundred pound tuna home, he gets there safely. He got the money he needed and his life got better. His dad stopped drinking and they became a real family again. This is a great book that proves that a kid can do anything.
This book shows that kids like Skiffy are very determined. For example, Skiffy was determined to fix the Mary Rose. Even after the boat sunk and the engine got ruined, he still wanted to fix it. It took him along time to find the hole and fix it. The other kids told Skiffy that he couldn't fix it. But Skiffy was determined and tried. Skiffy was also really determined to catch the tuna fish. After he ran out of bait he didn't give up. Also the tuna pulled him into the water and almost drowned him. But was able to get back it the boat to tried again. He also never gave up when he was bringing the tuna home. He had to row the boat for hours and never gave up. He just kept telling himself just a little further, just a little further.
This book shows that kids can be very strong and skillful. For example, Skiffy had to pull the Mary Rose out of the water. You would have to be pretty strong to use a winch to pull a heavy boat out of the water. Skiffy was also strong when he was trying to get the tuna home. He had been rowing all day and his arms were getting weaker by the minute. But Skiffy stayed strong and even after his hands started bleeding he got home safe and sound. Skiffy showed great skill when he was fixing the Mary Rose. When he was making the replacement board for the boat he had to get it perfect or else it wouldn't work. If he made it to big it wouldn't fit and if he made it to small it would still leak. But he had a lot of skill and got it just right.
This book shows that no matter what, kids and families stick together. For example, even though Skiffy's dad hardly ever said two words to Skiffy, Skiffy knew it was because he was so depressed so he didn't give up on his dad. The entire time that Skiffy was trying to fix the Mary Rose he would always go inside and talk to his dad about the progress that he was making and how things were going. Also, when Skiffy's dad found out that Skiffy was gone he got someone to help him look for his son. He never stopped looking until he found Skiffy. Skiffy and his dad loved each other so much that they never gave up on each other. She always talked to his dad and made him part of his life. He could have just forgotten all about his dad and decide that he didn't care, but he did care. He stuck with his dad.
This is a great book that will motivate people. I would recommend this book to people nine years old and above.

C. Chapman

The Book Review
The book I read is called The Young Man and the Sea and the author is Rodman Philbrick. This book was about - ironically - the young man and the sea. In fact he lived near one and it was how his dad and he made a living. His dad use to catch big fishes, but since his wife died he's been in a slump. So when Skiffy's, the main character, boat sinks, his dad does nothing and leaves Skiffy in despair. Skiffy then gets some advice from Mr. Woodwells and soon realizes that he needs a new engine which isn't cheap. In this book Skiffy has to find out how and where to get the money and this is where it gets interesting. I only read this book because it was the only summer reading book I could find in the public library. The only people who should read this book is the kids that are still in Elementary school, for them this book would be interesting.
The writing style was very much like the main character speaking, it gives you a more personal feel of the other wise boring character. Here's an example of it: I like things just the way they are. Another favorable part in this story is the character development. The narrator develops the characters in a friendly way and adds to this by giving his own opinions of them. However, you will find more of the other characters' personalities through dialogue. You can see the way they really talk, here's an example: "Heard that old wreck of yours finally went down". Now there are many reasons why I do not like this book, it was mostly because this book was never meant for mature children like me. The plot was the worst I have ever seen in any of the books I've read. There was never really much of a plot, there was only unsurprising events. There was nothing in this book to say it was spontaneous or at least a little exciting because it wasn't. Here's an example: Finally I get sick of looking and decide I'll row up the creek to Mr. Woodwell's place and see if he has any ideas on the subject.
Overall I disliked this book because I like to be taken to another world as I'm reading or have something exciting happening. The only time I would read this book is if I had a decision between the history book or this book and even then I would have to think about it. The kids in elementary school who have nothing better to do should read this book, but I would not recommend it because the truth is, it is boring.

S. Robinson

I've never lived by the sea or been a fisherman, but Rodman Philbrick makes me feel the ocean spray in my face with his vivid descriptions of Skiff Beaman's adventures in Spinney Cove. The story of Skiff's memorable summer is told in the straightforward, humorous voice of Skiff himself.

Skiff Beaman is angry at the world, and he has good reason. After his mother dies, his father won't get off the couch or stop feeling sorry for himself. Skiff thinks that his dad will come to life when he tells him that their fishing boat, the Mary Rose, sank. But nothing short of a miracle will get his dad off the couch and out of the house.

With the help of the local fishermen, including old Mr. Woodwell, Skiff learns how he can raise the Mary Rose all by himself. The boat is badly damaged and repairs will be quite expensive. Skiff comes up with a plan to make money, but obstacles soon get in his way, his biggest one being Tyler Croft, the town bully. Tyler has it out for Skiff just because he's a swamper and therefore sabotages Skiff's moneymaking plans. But then Skiff gets a really "big" idea. If he isn't careful, though, this idea could cost him his life.

Skiff's determination is contagious, and I found myself rooting for him all the way, right up until the end of the story. If you want to find out if he can beat the odds and keep a promise he made to his mother, then you must read THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SEA.

--- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner (...)