Title: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Author: Jean Lee Latham
Major Themes: Sailing, Navigation, Ships
Synopsis: Though he was not able to go to school, Nathaniel Bowditch taught himself several languages, astronomy, and navigation—and led an amazing life!
Many years ago, when my oldest reached the Sonlight Curriculum level in which we studied American history, we were introduced to many great books that I had never seen before, but which quickly became favorites. One of those was Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. I remember reading it to my daughter and really liking it, and I believe I read it to another set of children several years later—but when I read it to my youngest children last month, I was again impressed with how good a story this is! What a treat.
Publisher’s description:
Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.
My thoughts:
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a perfect example of my favorite type of biography; it is the story of Nathaniel Bowditch’s life, but it is as interesting to read as a novel. (I wish I knew exactly what to call this type of book!) The story begins with Nat as a young boy, trying to help his family to a better life—but within a few years, he found himself an apprentice, feeling like a prisoner for the next nine years! We were inspired by the account of how he taught himself many subjects—mathematics, navigation, astronomy, and at least two different languages, all in the evenings after working full days. The way Nat used the knowledge he gained by sheer hard work is inspiring, too. He did not use it merely for his own advancement, but to help others. Very soon, every ship on which he sailed was transformed.
There are many reasons to read Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. You might read it to learn about American history, or about sailing, or navigation, or mathematics—or you might just read it because it’s a great story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it aloud for the third time, and I know my daughters enjoyed it, too. This is an author I would love to have more from!
WARNING: Chapter 1: Boy wanted to work a good-luck spell. Chapter 3: Man killed in sea battle. Chapter 5: “I swear I will” twice. Chapter 12: Daggone, those poor devils. Chapter 13: The devil. Chapter 14: Blast you, you blasted fool, Blast. Chapter 22: The infernal luck, those brown devils.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Library Binding | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Leave a Reply