Finn at Clee Point

by Richard Knight, Giovanni Manna (Illustrator)

Finn lives in a small fishing village, and he loves his simple, rough-and-tumble life: listening to the gulls, savoring the salty smells of the market and setting fishing lines in the early morning. But when he befriends the Finer family, outsiders in an otherwise close-knit community, the bonds of friendship and familial loyalty are tested. This thoughtfully written, fast-paced novel has a powerful sense of place and of the ways in which friendships and loyalties are forged. The atmospheric illustrations include maps of Finns village, which is based on the authors childhood home in Spurn Point, at the mouth of the River Humber in Yorkshire, England.

Genres: Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations by Manna are superb and helps to visualize the story's narration. Great tale of emotional development by a young boy that learns to not judge a book by it's cover, or by what he hears of it from others. Finn's story is about trying his best to understand the tenuous relationships between adults and how events of the past can shape lives well into the future. Great read for middle - advanced readers

[Marmot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids quite enjoyed this book- it has s nice mixture if pictures and longer text, a good intro to chapter books. I loved the illustrations! The story was fine, but felt a little predictable to me.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story for your students who like to fish. The added bonus is that this is also a great story about interpersonal relationships and being self confident enough to stand up for what you believe to be right and just, even if you stand alone. Finn at Clee Point would make a good read aloud for character education and be a starting point for in depth class discussions. There is a glossary of fishing and boating terms at the end of the book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quiet and subtle book. Captures the feel of a fishing village on the Atlantic beautifully. Took me a while to figure out which side of the pond we were on, and turns out, it was England, though the geography, and the sea, put me in mind of Wellfleet.

[Adinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een wat verdrietig verhaal dat me niet zo veel doet, maar het is zo'n móói boekje! De dromerige aquarels geven het verhaal een extra dimensie, waardoor je het Schotse of Ierse accent van de personages bijna kunt horen terwijl je leest.