The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Author: Avi

Coverart by: Ruth E. Murray

Published by: Avon Books, 1990

Genre: Historical fiction, Mystery

Age Range: 4-5th grade

Newbery Honor Book

This book is about Charlotte Doyle and her adventure on the Seahawk as she travels un-chaperoned from England to America. In the year 1832 Charlotte was 13 years old and her family was moving back to Rhode Island. Her parents went on ahead of her and made arrangements for her to cross with a couple of families after she had finished her school term. When the time came to board the ship, though, the other families had made excuses to avoid this particular trip, and despite the warning given to her by the crew of the Seahawk, Charlotte is made to continue on as planned. At first she finds that she is not kean on sea travel and finds the crew to be unfit company, the captain is the only "gentleman" on the ship. She also does not understand the dangers that loom on the ship, though she has been warned. As time goes by she makes friends with a member of the crew, and begins to talk to the others. She also finds that the captain is not as great a man as she thought and uncovers the mutiny that the crew have been planning. Many events occur that result in her shedding her fancy dresses, donning a sailor's uniform and becoming part of the crew. She also becomes the suspect of a murder that happens one stormy night. In the end she finds that life at sea is the life for her, though it takes a lot of hard work, it provides a freedom that she would not be able to experience with her upperclass family.

This book was a very exciting read. I liked how it used so many terms that one would hear on a ship during that time period and provided an Appendix with diagrams to help the reader understand what a ship was like. Through the story the reader learns about the prejudice of class and gender during this time period. I think it also empowers the reader to do things that they normally wouldn't think they could do. No one expected Charlotte, a girl, to be a good sailor but she turned out to be a great one. This book really encourages giving people and experiences a second chance with an open mind.

Part of fourth and fifth grade art curriculum is for the students to "understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures". Part of this goal includes comparing art from one culture to another during the same time period. Since this book has Charlotte traveling from England to America that provides the opportunity for students to compare the artwork of the two countries. They may note the similarities and differences in the styles, subject matter and themes etc. They can also discuss how the artwork may reflect the feelings and events going on during the time period. In making artwork of their own it might be interesting to have them take a style that inspires them and make it their own to tell their own visual story of something that has happened to them or something that is happening in the world today. This would help achieve another goal which is to let students respond to work both objectively and subjectively (knowledge-based and personal).