Nation

Summary:

A tidal wave wipes out an island nation, and leaves only one survivor - a boy named Mau. Soon he discovers another survivor from a passing ship - a girl named Daphne. This is the story of how the two kids deal with the aftermath of the catastrophe. Other refugees arrive by canoe, and a new community is created.

Reader Enjoyment Factors:

There is a lot of adventure in this book. Also, it proves that different cultures can work together and get along - using both group's traditions and rules.

Content Awareness Factors:

The book was long, and the ending was quite weak.

Young Reader Reaction

This book is very interesting to read, and I would recommend it as a gift or a book to borrow from the library. This is a book for anyone who is a confident reader. This book provides an interesting view of the mix between cultures and there is an interesting trivia section in the back. I would recommend other survival books, such as Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Parent Reaction

I thought this book was Okay. It was very wordy, and you really had to pay attention to follow all the details. I liked the subplot that dealt with being open to others' beliefs, and also testing new ideas.

Type of Book:
This is a story of two children who are the survivors of a (fictional) natural disaster.

Educational Themes:

The book talks of science quite a bit, but it really doesn't go down that road. One of the main morals of the story is not to look down on people because they are different from you, and I think that's a very important message. It was also interesting that the children had the highest roles in the hierarchy on the island.

Reading Level:
5.2

Recommended Age To Read By Yourself:
9 and Up

Recommended Age To Read Together:
9 to 13

Age of child:
Teen STAR Review Team, Be the Star You Are!

Purchase Recommendation:
Borrow. This book was a bit wordy for my taste. I like to be able to put a book down, and not have to reread half of it to remember what's going on. I did think that the book dealt with a lot of prevalent social issues in a very positive way.