Faraway Things

Gr 3-5--Lucian loves searching for faraway things--items with no obvious owner--that have drifted ashore near his home. One day, after a great storm has raged through the night, Lucian happens upon a cutlass, and it is unlike anything he has found before. He carefully secures it to the wall of his bedroom, inspiring a series of dreams about his late father. After the fog clears, Lucian notices a large ship in the bay, stuck in a sandbar because there was no lighthouse to guide its passage. The ship's captain comes ashore and, because the cutlass is rightfully his, allows Lucian to choose another of the captain's treasures in exchange for the sword. Lyrical, descriptive language allows Lucian's story to gently unfold. The writing invites readers into a narrative that is deeper than it first appears; longer sentences and more nuanced storytelling make this title best suited to older elementary readers. This story is enjoyable to read aloud, though the illustrations deserve equal attention. Watercolor and ink bring Lucian's world to life in hues of primarily blue, gray, and brown, encapsulating the feel of a seaside home. Rich landscapes couple with minute detail, resulting in captivating and compelling visuals. Lucian and his mother are white, as are most of the ship's crew; however, the captain and a few of the other crew members have darker skin. VERDICT A beautiful story about adventure and honoring a father's memory, this is a noteworthy addition to elementary school libraries.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.

When pale-skinned Lucian brings home a magnificent cutlass he's found on the beach, his mother has doubts. "Is it a faraway thing?" she asks, using his father's phrase for treasures washed up on the beach. "Yup," he assures her. When he hangs it on his wall, in their home below a defunct lighthouse, he dreams of his father. The next day, the cutlass's owner appears by rowboat--a captain whose galleon is stuck on a sandbar. A bald, brown-skinned man in modern-looking spectacles, he approaches Lucian with an offer: "If you return the cutlass, I'll let you choose whatever object you like from the treasures I've accumulated." The moment that Lucian enters the room is tense. "Choose wisely," the captain says, and readers watch as the child relinquishes his prize for a quieter treasure in a step out of childhood and into responsibility. Sweeping multimedia art by Murphy (Together We Grow) gives the galleon, its crew, and the ocean grandeur. The story raises more questions than it answers--about the boy's father and the nonworking lighthouse--but Eggers (We Became Jaguars) tells his swashbuckling yarn with screenplay-like polish that feels just as expansive as Murphy's art. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June)