John MacFarlane

12 yea- old Sam overhears his parents talking one night about putting down their old Labrador Retriever, Pogo. Sam feels the only way to save him is to take him away, and so they embark on a sailing adventure. The saying, "When it rains, it pours"y aptly describes this novel, as they first seek shelter from a storm on an island, but then calamities come quickl when he sails off with heavy fog, a run in with a passing barge, loss of his boat, and a hungry shark to top off this challenging lost-at-sea scenario. When he feels hope at being rescued from a shipwreck, the elderly rescuer slips and breaks his ankle and Sam is now left caring for not only his dog and a hurt bird from the wreck, but now also an elderly hermit. One thing that rings true is that although the Coast guard is searching, they do not see him and so he comes to the realization he must do something himself if he is to live. This is a powerful point in the story and the place where Sam finally is coming to terms with death. This is an emotional survival story and one that will appeal to the Middle School Crowd looking for survival stories. 141 pages.… (mere)