The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in. Thirteen-year-old Sophie is the only girl amongst the crew of The Wanderer, made up of her three uncles and two cousins. They sail across the Atlantic toward England, the land of Bompie, her grandfather. The personal journey she takes brings her deeper into a forgotten past than she ever knew possible. Sophie’s thirteen-year-old cousin Cody isn’t sure why his father brought him along. Everyone, including his dad, thinks he’s nothing but a knucklehead doofus. But behind all the goofing off, he wonders if he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie’s and Cody’s travel logs, the amazing experiences of these six wanderers unfold.
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"A large family of uncles and cousins make their way via sailboat to Ireland to visit their beloved father and grandfather in his last days. As they make the journey, a heartfelt crossing undertaken in honor of how Bompie came to the New World as a young man, they reminisce about Bompie's life. What is odd is that the person who claims to know the most stories is Sophie, the only girl on the ship and a newly adopted member of the family. She has never met Bompie- who is she kidding talking night and day about his childhood? As the cousins, both biological and adopted, come to understand one another, a beautiful, tender story unfolds."
— Jessica (5 out of 5 stars)
" This is my second time reading this, and I love it! It's so beautiful. I highly recommend it! "
— Posie, 2/16/2014" The Wanderer was an interesting book to read. I recommend it to people that like to read about like ships and personal experiences because the book has two points of view. It has the point of view of the girl Sophie and the boy Cody. It talks about their experience through out the whole voyage in the boat for the whole three weeks they are all there. "
— Angie, 2/16/2014" This was an interesting fun book. The journal entried were fun to read. It was adventurous with a little mystery. I liked how it ended. "
— Paige, 2/13/2014" 13 yr. old Sophie goes on a trip from Connecticut to England in a ship called The Wanderer with three uncles and two cousins. Along the way, each of the characters' lives unfold, and Sophie's past life slowly reveals itself. Written from the point of view of Sophie and her cousin Cody's travel logs. I gave this book a 4 because although it has good characters and foreshadowing, the author fails to give a sense of significance to the story. It's a bit too stream-of-consciousness, and leaves the reader wondering, "So what?" "
— Amber, 2/3/2014" Not what I expected. I put it on my que because it was a Newberry Award Winner. Very fast read. "
— Cara, 1/27/2014" I love the unique writing---it's sorta haunting, the way that there's a lot of poetry. It's like a bunch of pieces that somehow fit together. I love it, it's so different. "
— Vivienne, 1/17/2014" You have to like books about the ocean to like this one! It helps if you've read "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" "
— Allindoucette, 1/7/2014" Don't really remember it that much, so it wasn't that great. "
— Katie, 12/23/2013" Traveling wround the world to see her grandpa, very sweet. "
— Avalon, 12/19/2013" i thought it was beautifully written. i didnt know somebody's dream could go that far. "
— Mahathi, 12/11/2013" This book is amazing. It must be one of my favorite young adult books. The characters in the story all show how adolescents, as well as adults, try to keep their past hidden. Should we really do that, or should we share our pain and happiness with the people we love? "
— Rhonda, 12/3/2013Sharon Creech has written more than twenty books for young people and is published in over twenty languages. Her books have received awards in both the United States and abroad, including the Newbery Medal for Walk Two Moons, the Newbery Honor for The Wanderer, and Great Britain’s Carnegie Medal for Ruby Holler. Before beginning her writing career, she taught English for fifteen years in England and Switzerland.