ALA notable author Iain Lawrence pens a moving tale with a Dickensian atmosphere about a young man's life aboard a cruel 19th-century prison ship. Fourteen-year-old Tom Tin is forced to scavenge on the grimy streets of London after his father is sent to debtor's prison. Tom's survival is threatened by the sinister lowlifes that inhabit his hopeless world. But when he is unjustly arrested for murder, he finds a place that is even worse than the dark city streets.
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"Chose this one for a read-aloud possibility with my class. It is Dickensonian in nature and would be good for the boys. There are parts that are hard to read because of the sad life of these boys but I think it's good in the end. I will definitely offer it up as a choice. " — Crystal (4 out of 5 stars)
"Chose this one for a read-aloud possibility with my class. It is Dickensonian in nature and would be good for the boys. There are parts that are hard to read because of the sad life of these boys but I think it's good in the end. I will definitely offer it up as a choice. "
" I read this one hoping to find a book that I could recommend to students in my class who enjoyed adventures. I think this one was a bit violent for my tastes and there seemed to be too many terrible things that happened to the main character...even Oliver Twist's life wasn't this hard! The string of tragic events just seemed too far-fetched to me. I also didn't have much empathy for the main character. He came across as very selfish throughout most of the book. "
" Tom Tin finds the legendary Jolly Stone. Supposedly it's bad luck landed him on a convict ship, mistaken for the cruel "smasher". But is it really bad luck after all? "
" Iain Lawrence writes creepy historical novels, and this book definitely fits. It's not super-natural scary, but real-life scary, which is almost worse. It's a fun read. "
" I thought this book was great. It was clear and i understood all of it! The was only about one part that i didn't understand, it was a little confusing, but that was it. "
" Good but Grim "
" The overall messaage of the book, I think, is to try hard, never give up, don't be selfish, and friends make the hardest times so much more copable. "
" I liked this book a lot. I probably would've liked it better if I hadn't read its sequel first. "
" This was a creppy book. I liked the twist in the end, and I liked seeing the character Tom slowly change his opinion about Midge. "
" It took me almost a year to get through this one. Nothing happened for a long time. I kept expecting something great, but it never came. "
" Started slow. Picked up in the middle. Lots of potential. Started to develop beautifully. Then slowed and stopped. "
" Troubling book about England and its handling of youthfull criminals late 1800's. "
" For younger people it can be a little confusing but I enjoyed it. (it is sad) just telling you if you like or dis-like those kind of books. "
" All these the then a words are goood "
" This is a fantastic historical adventure. It reminded me a great deal of something written by Charles Dickens, but for a less mature reader. I can't wait to read the next one in the series, since this one leaves you hanging "
" Totally going to read the next one. This book is different and I loved it. "
" I picked this up thinking I might add it to my classroom library. Then I got to the grave-robbing and the murdering and the blinding with needles and realized it might not be appropriate. The pro: it's really good. The con: night terrors. "
" This was a good story about a boy who was trying to take care of his family because his dad was in debtors prison. He ended up in a prison for boys himself and it is the story about how he survived it. This would be a great book for a 3rd-6th grader to read in my opinion. "
" One of the waifish convict boys reminds me of Butters. "
" Chose this one for a read-aloud possibility with my class. It is Dickensonian in nature and would be good for the boys. There are parts that are hard to read because of the sad life of these boys but I think it's good in the end. I will definitely offer it up as a choice. "
" Mr. Goodfellow seems to hold something over the Tin family. Hopes of a captain's position for Mr Tin and housing for the family. Things take a turn after the Tom's sister dies. Convicts, murdger diamonds ok "
" This book is a bit on the morbid side, but I couldn't put it down. It is mainly about juvenile convicts whose prison is an old ship. Set in the 1800's in England. The story is similar in plot to many Dickens stories, without all of the extra description. "
" very dark and depressing. the old expression "if it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all" comes to mind. fast read. "
" In many ways, this is an accurate depiction of the "justice" system of the time. The characters could be developed more and there are definitely some logic leaps, but an enjoyable book. "
" Great historical adventure story of a boy caught up in London street crime and his jail time aboard a hulk. "
Iain Lawrence is a bestselling children’s author. Before becoming a fiction writer, he studied journalism at Vancouver Community College and spent ten years working for small newspapers in northern British Columbia. He is the author of The Wreckers, The Giant Slayer, The Smugglers, The Winter Pony, and others. Lawrence won the prize for Children’s Literature from the Canada Council for the Arts in 2007. He lives in the Gulf Islands with his partner, Kristen.
John Keating is an actor, voice talent, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. His numerous acting credits include Roundabout Theatre’s production of Juno and the Paycock and La Mama ETC’s production of Cat and the Moon, as well as various parts with the Irish Repertory Theater and the Irish Arts Center. He can also be seen in the HBO miniseries John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.
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