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Journey Outside
A Newbery Honor book
This fast-paced story is more than an adventure—it is a search for answers in a bewildering world that is as terrifying as it is beautiful.
Grandfather said they were headed for the Better Place, but Dilar suspected they were headed nowhere, simply following the dark underground river blindly. And so one night he leaped onto a shelf of rock and watched the flotilla of the Raft People disappear. And from there he found his way Outside, into a world so beautiful and strange he could only suppose he had died—a world of day, and sun, of trees and sky.
“A highly successful work that can be read as an adventure story, a fantasy, or as allegory”— School Library Journal
This fast-paced story is more than an adventure—it is a search for answers in a bewildering world that is as terrifying as it is beautiful.
Grandfather said they were headed for the Better Place, but Dilar suspected they were headed nowhere, simply following the dark underground river blindly. And so one night he leaped onto a shelf of rock and watched the flotilla of the Raft People disappear. And from there he found his way Outside, into a world so beautiful and strange he could only suppose he had died—a world of day, and sun, of trees and sky.
“A highly successful work that can be read as an adventure story, a fantasy, or as allegory”— School Library Journal
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 1969
About the author
Mary Q. Steele
21 books6 followersFull name: Mary Quintard Govan Steele
Noted American author and naturalist of over 20 books --- some adult-style, but mostly for children. Her 1970 Journey Outside was a Newbery Honor Book. Steele sometimes wrote under the name Wilson Gage.
Steele was the youngest daughter of an author-historian and a well-known children's writer, Christine Noble Govan (author of The Pink Maple House). Her older sister, Emmy Govan West, was also a children's author. A graduate of the University of Chattanooga, Steele was married to author William O. Steele.
Noted American author and naturalist of over 20 books --- some adult-style, but mostly for children. Her 1970 Journey Outside was a Newbery Honor Book. Steele sometimes wrote under the name Wilson Gage.
Steele was the youngest daughter of an author-historian and a well-known children's writer, Christine Noble Govan (author of The Pink Maple House). Her older sister, Emmy Govan West, was also a children's author. A graduate of the University of Chattanooga, Steele was married to author William O. Steele.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 27, 2013
Dilar lives on a raft with his family, in a convoy of rafts that drifts along an underground river. Supposedly the rafts are headed for a "better place," but they never get there, and Dilar starts wondering if they aren't just going in a big circle. This thought consumes him until he hops off the raft onto the riverbank and watches his whole life float away.
He starts climbing up the cave walls and eventually makes it to the surface of the earth, where he gorges himself on peaches and gets a bad sunburn when he falls asleep. A young sheperdess takes him home and for a time he lives with her family. In this society, people are very generous and the concept of private property is comfortably lax, but no one plans ahead for anything. They don't even save firewood for the winter.
When Dilar hears that wise men who can answer any question live over the mountains and far away, he decides to set out looking for them. He meets and stays with many people in many types of societies, each wise but flawed in their own ways: a man who spends his days cooking pancakes for animals, desert people who suck on cactus flesh all day, and finally, a mischevious goatherd who (kind of) answers Dilar's questions about the Raft People, and more importantly, what he should do next.
The Journey Outside was a solid piece of kid's literature, but the whole of the book didn't quite live up to the potential of the premise. The most interesting part (Dilar questioning his upbringing and leaving the rafts) was over in the first few pages. The rest of it was an interesting allegory, but I would have liked to see what happens when/if Dilar decides to go back to his people. As it was, I felt the story was not adequately wrapped up.
He starts climbing up the cave walls and eventually makes it to the surface of the earth, where he gorges himself on peaches and gets a bad sunburn when he falls asleep. A young sheperdess takes him home and for a time he lives with her family. In this society, people are very generous and the concept of private property is comfortably lax, but no one plans ahead for anything. They don't even save firewood for the winter.
When Dilar hears that wise men who can answer any question live over the mountains and far away, he decides to set out looking for them. He meets and stays with many people in many types of societies, each wise but flawed in their own ways: a man who spends his days cooking pancakes for animals, desert people who suck on cactus flesh all day, and finally, a mischevious goatherd who (kind of) answers Dilar's questions about the Raft People, and more importantly, what he should do next.
The Journey Outside was a solid piece of kid's literature, but the whole of the book didn't quite live up to the potential of the premise. The most interesting part (Dilar questioning his upbringing and leaving the rafts) was over in the first few pages. The rest of it was an interesting allegory, but I would have liked to see what happens when/if Dilar decides to go back to his people. As it was, I felt the story was not adequately wrapped up.
November 19, 2011
Can you imagine never having seen green? Dilar impulsively abandons, for a time, his raft, leaving behind the primitive River People. Emerging from a mountain-top, Dilar's senses are flooded with the wondrous landscape spreading before him. He journeys widely discovering a world previously unimagined while searching for the answer to the question that nags him. Is this the Better Place his people dream of? We catch a glimpse of the familiar through the eyes of an innocent as we share in Dilar's awakening.
October 22, 2017
The Raft People have been floating down an underground river for generations, but Dilar dreams of more! If that sounds good to you, then you are the weirdo that this book is looking for.
Dilar escapes the Raft People and travels through a series of weird societies. Each society has quirks relating to some form of willful ignorance and some form of seeking peace. It reminds some readers of Gulliver's Travels, which is fair, but it reminds me a bit more of The Little Prince in its focus on the human condition. The microcosmic cultures remind me of the works of Jack Vance, and the refusal to judge them reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin.
I loved Steele's pacing. Each setting gets just enough attention to make me ask questions, then it's off to the next enigma. Some people complain that the setting changes too quickly, but I disagree. If there was an extra 20 pages in each section, we all be sick of it. I do agree, though, that the ending felt a bit abrupt. If this novel came out today, the publisher would probably require her to tack on at least 50 pages of resolution. As it is, it cuts out barely a page after the climax.
Weird in all the right ways.
Dilar escapes the Raft People and travels through a series of weird societies. Each society has quirks relating to some form of willful ignorance and some form of seeking peace. It reminds some readers of Gulliver's Travels, which is fair, but it reminds me a bit more of The Little Prince in its focus on the human condition. The microcosmic cultures remind me of the works of Jack Vance, and the refusal to judge them reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin.
I loved Steele's pacing. Each setting gets just enough attention to make me ask questions, then it's off to the next enigma. Some people complain that the setting changes too quickly, but I disagree. If there was an extra 20 pages in each section, we all be sick of it. I do agree, though, that the ending felt a bit abrupt. If this novel came out today, the publisher would probably require her to tack on at least 50 pages of resolution. As it is, it cuts out barely a page after the climax.
Weird in all the right ways.
January 6, 2019
A boy who has lived his entire life on a raft on a river which flows in a circle through a vast collection of underground caves accidentally finds a way out into the world and goes on a journey of discovery.
This is easily the most philosophical Newbery Honor Book I've ever read; think Plato's Cave for middle grade readers. And you know? It works. Happily recommended.
This is easily the most philosophical Newbery Honor Book I've ever read; think Plato's Cave for middle grade readers. And you know? It works. Happily recommended.
July 10, 2021
So creative and original ... but it does seem to invite the reader to make comparisons, probably just to get a handle on it. I fault the comparison to Gulliver's Travels as there's no satire, no monsters, and actually little commentary. I do get a sense of Literature, Allegory, etc., though, so I don't object to Little Prince. I see City of Ember. And maybe Dante's 'Circles of Hell; on the rafts? (After all, after our boy has been 'outside' awhile he wonders what his people had done wrong....)
Reading a version with the original woodcuts. Not my favorite medium, but I can see the power in them, and recommend them.
---
Ok done.
Um. What? Provocative, but far too few clues for me... maybe children 'sense' meanings here *because* they are less experienced readers? Maybe there aren't deep meanings? What did the Newbery committee see in it?
(I didn't like The Alchemist of Life of Pi, either.)
Off to read other reviews.
Reading a version with the original woodcuts. Not my favorite medium, but I can see the power in them, and recommend them.
---
Ok done.
Um. What? Provocative, but far too few clues for me... maybe children 'sense' meanings here *because* they are less experienced readers? Maybe there aren't deep meanings? What did the Newbery committee see in it?
(I didn't like The Alchemist of Life of Pi, either.)
Off to read other reviews.
March 21, 2019
The story of a tween or teen who becomes dissatisfied with the lifestyle of his people. As a member of The Raft People, Dilar floats along on an underground raft with his family and friends on rafts close by. One day Dilar sees a cliff outcropping and on a whim, jumps off his father's raft. He finds the way to the outside world and has many adventures and makes many discoveries.
The only fault I have with the book is that it ends with Dilar just beginning his voyage back to the hill from whence he came. I would have liked to see the return journey, his people's reaction to his wild tales of 'the outside' world and their decisions afterwards.
My favorite quote:
Vigan: 'Nothing is harder to believe than the truth. If it weren't so, all men would be good and kind and wise and happy.' p. 139
That needs some pondering on!
The only fault I have with the book is that it ends with Dilar just beginning his voyage back to the hill from whence he came. I would have liked to see the return journey, his people's reaction to his wild tales of 'the outside' world and their decisions afterwards.
My favorite quote:
Vigan: 'Nothing is harder to believe than the truth. If it weren't so, all men would be good and kind and wise and happy.' p. 139
That needs some pondering on!
January 14, 2008
My favorite book, as a young adult, and now.
Read
March 17, 2017Great book to use as a springboard for teaching about world cultures; peculiar, but interesting.
November 29, 2022
This Newbery Honor book was published in 1969. I first read it in September 1997, and then decided to reread it now. It is an allegory: an adventure story on the one hand, a story about enlightenment on the other.
When we first meet Dilar, he is living on one of twenty-one rafts that travel endlessly on a subterranean river. The families that live on the rafts have an entirely fish-oriented culture. Everyone believes they are traveling to "a Better Place." They have been traveling for at least three generations. Dilar begins to suspect they are not going anywhere, but making an endless circuit. One night, while others sleep, he grabs a torch and leaps off the raft onto a ledge and lets all the remaining rafts pass out of sight.
Forced by the discovery that the ledge is also occupied by rats, Dilar crawls up a crevice until at last he comes out into--daylight and another world entirely. Through the ensuing seasons, he spends each one with a different culture of people. Each has something to offer and a way of life that works for them, but each has its drawbacks, too. Dilar continuously searches for someone who can and will give him answers to all his questions.
Dilar's journey takes about a year. When he at last finds a man who can answer some of his questions, he learns that yes, the river is circular, and that his people originally lived as fisherman on the shore of the sea--but were driven to a safer place by fierce storms. And now, it has been so long, no one really remembers this. Dilar sees that it is his job to return and lead his people back to the real world, out of darkness into the light.
Though I did not find this well-written story particularly dated, I wondered how today's readers would like it. Does it have enough of what they expect in a book nowadays: fantasy, superpowers, action, grit, dynamic and individualistic heroes? I suspect they would regard it as a little old-fashioned and look for a newer tale wrapped up in a more with-it format.
When we first meet Dilar, he is living on one of twenty-one rafts that travel endlessly on a subterranean river. The families that live on the rafts have an entirely fish-oriented culture. Everyone believes they are traveling to "a Better Place." They have been traveling for at least three generations. Dilar begins to suspect they are not going anywhere, but making an endless circuit. One night, while others sleep, he grabs a torch and leaps off the raft onto a ledge and lets all the remaining rafts pass out of sight.
Forced by the discovery that the ledge is also occupied by rats, Dilar crawls up a crevice until at last he comes out into--daylight and another world entirely. Through the ensuing seasons, he spends each one with a different culture of people. Each has something to offer and a way of life that works for them, but each has its drawbacks, too. Dilar continuously searches for someone who can and will give him answers to all his questions.
Dilar's journey takes about a year. When he at last finds a man who can answer some of his questions, he learns that yes, the river is circular, and that his people originally lived as fisherman on the shore of the sea--but were driven to a safer place by fierce storms. And now, it has been so long, no one really remembers this. Dilar sees that it is his job to return and lead his people back to the real world, out of darkness into the light.
Though I did not find this well-written story particularly dated, I wondered how today's readers would like it. Does it have enough of what they expect in a book nowadays: fantasy, superpowers, action, grit, dynamic and individualistic heroes? I suspect they would regard it as a little old-fashioned and look for a newer tale wrapped up in a more with-it format.
May 8, 2016
At first, I thought this was going to be a more interesting book. A group of people living their lives on a bunch of rafts on a river going in circles in a dark tunnel. Definitely a dystopia.
Then it changed pretty quickly, and the boy left his surroundings and discovered a new place. He wanted to bring his people there. Then he discovered that that place had some serious problems as well. So he found a new place. Then another new place. Then another new place.
So really this book is five dystopias in one, but it doesn't give any of them enough time - except possibly the not-people who really don't need any more time. Either way, I actually think this book could have been more interesting if it was longer. :-)
Then it changed pretty quickly, and the boy left his surroundings and discovered a new place. He wanted to bring his people there. Then he discovered that that place had some serious problems as well. So he found a new place. Then another new place. Then another new place.
So really this book is five dystopias in one, but it doesn't give any of them enough time - except possibly the not-people who really don't need any more time. Either way, I actually think this book could have been more interesting if it was longer. :-)
May 24, 2009
Interesting story about a boy who lives underground on a raft with his father and grandfather and their people. He decides to explore the world and meets many different types of people. Enjoyable and different.
February 10, 2015
Rated G.
THIS WAS WEIRD. It was seriously trippy. As the back says, it can be an allegory, a fantasy, an adventure--and all at the same time. It is a truly bizarre but oddly interesting story of a boy's search for a Better Place for himself and his family.
THIS WAS WEIRD. It was seriously trippy. As the back says, it can be an allegory, a fantasy, an adventure--and all at the same time. It is a truly bizarre but oddly interesting story of a boy's search for a Better Place for himself and his family.
January 12, 2011
Started out with a story line much like another book that I love, but turned out somewhat differently. Read "City of Ember" and that series.
May 18, 2015
I am still not sure about this one. It will take some thinking. Very interesting story, however I am not sure about the end and its meaning.
September 12, 2022
Very interesting book. I am trying to read all the Newbery winner and honor books. This one was so unique and fresh.
July 9, 2021
At first I thought the story was kind of simplistic, but reading on, it became apparent that this book is more of an allegory. In that case, simplicity is not a weakness but a strength, keeping the focus on the big picture and broad ideas, rather than getting absorbed in the details of characters' lives.
Dilar is full of questions about why his people (and other people he meets) live the way they do, which is off-putting to everyone he asks, since they are satisfied living the way they always have, or even if they're aware of the downsides, they can't imagine anything different. Katran is a nice exception to that rule; he doesn't feel threatened by the idea that there are other options, for him it was an intentional choice to live the way he does because he's genuinely happy with it, but he's wise enough to see that Dilar needs something different, and points him in the right direction. I liked that there was *enough* detail to show certain characters as individuals within their society.
So, Dilar is compelled to keep searching until he finds a wise man who can answer his questions. Finally, he meets an old man who forces him to face what he has already learned through his travels. "All men are wise about one thing or another--and all men are stupid about an equal number of things." Dilar's own people are a good example; All of the other peoples he encounters, with their widely varying ideologies, each have a similar mix of wisdom and foolishness.
The old man also forces Dilar to examine his motivations, and act for the right reasons. This was a question Dilar didn't even think to ask, but it was an important one to answer. I liked the ending. At first, I thought it was a bit fast, but if you think about it... Dilar has found the understanding that he has sought, and he knows what he's going to do and why. He now has everything he needs for the life ahead of him, which was the real goal of his quest. Anything that he does from here on is merely a byproduct of his achievement of that goal. So I think that's really the best place to end.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I think it's very good, though it didn't have as much of an impact on me as The Little Prince. Anyway, I think it does a good job of examining how different societies all try to live in the way they think is best, and they're all partly wise and partly foolish, which is generally the case in our world as well. All any of us can do is try to live well, and let others get on with their version of the same thing.
Journey Outside is available to read online: https://openlibrary.org/search?q=titl...
Dilar is full of questions about why his people (and other people he meets) live the way they do, which is off-putting to everyone he asks, since they are satisfied living the way they always have, or even if they're aware of the downsides, they can't imagine anything different. Katran is a nice exception to that rule; he doesn't feel threatened by the idea that there are other options, for him it was an intentional choice to live the way he does because he's genuinely happy with it, but he's wise enough to see that Dilar needs something different, and points him in the right direction. I liked that there was *enough* detail to show certain characters as individuals within their society.
So, Dilar is compelled to keep searching until he finds a wise man who can answer his questions. Finally, he meets an old man who forces him to face what he has already learned through his travels. "All men are wise about one thing or another--and all men are stupid about an equal number of things." Dilar's own people are a good example; All of the other peoples he encounters, with their widely varying ideologies, each have a similar mix of wisdom and foolishness.
The old man also forces Dilar to examine his motivations, and act for the right reasons. This was a question Dilar didn't even think to ask, but it was an important one to answer. I liked the ending. At first, I thought it was a bit fast, but if you think about it... Dilar has found the understanding that he has sought, and he knows what he's going to do and why. He now has everything he needs for the life ahead of him, which was the real goal of his quest. Anything that he does from here on is merely a byproduct of his achievement of that goal. So I think that's really the best place to end.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I think it's very good, though it didn't have as much of an impact on me as The Little Prince. Anyway, I think it does a good job of examining how different societies all try to live in the way they think is best, and they're all partly wise and partly foolish, which is generally the case in our world as well. All any of us can do is try to live well, and let others get on with their version of the same thing.
Journey Outside is available to read online: https://openlibrary.org/search?q=titl...
July 15, 2023
I would rate this a higher 4. I was surprised by how interesting this book was as I read along. The premise sounded strange and it has a peculiar plot. It has some action, but it really is all about an incredible journey and self discovery. There is not tidy ending and I liked that. The book is not really about the end result of the journey, but the lessons learned along the way. Then the reader may decide what they think the future holds for Dilar. If one wants to dive deeper there are interesting ties to the real world that someone could draw from this book, especially given the time it was published (1969). It is a shorter book, so the world building is not what it is in today's sci-fi books that are often over 400 pages. I'm just fine with that, because we don't need all that background to appreciate this story. This would be a great short book to discuss theme, allegory, setting descriptions, sequence and character traits. A great early 1970's Newbery honor surprise.
October 13, 2018
TITLE: Journey Outside
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It is a Newbery Honor Book; it met my reading challenge criteria being connected to the book before it, The Left-Hand of Darkness, being published in the same year, 1969
REVIEW: This was a nice and quick little read, about 143 pages. It is the story of a boy whose people live on rafts. Rafts that float in dark tunnels in an endless circle, or so he thinks. So he gets of the raft to prove that they are going nowhere. He ends up meeting up with several groups of people who in their own way want to help but in essence imprison him. This story is about his quest to find the truth and a way back to his people. He is a clever, hard-working, honest and compassionate young man. His exploits are entertaining.
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: It is a Newbery Honor Book; it met my reading challenge criteria being connected to the book before it, The Left-Hand of Darkness, being published in the same year, 1969
REVIEW: This was a nice and quick little read, about 143 pages. It is the story of a boy whose people live on rafts. Rafts that float in dark tunnels in an endless circle, or so he thinks. So he gets of the raft to prove that they are going nowhere. He ends up meeting up with several groups of people who in their own way want to help but in essence imprison him. This story is about his quest to find the truth and a way back to his people. He is a clever, hard-working, honest and compassionate young man. His exploits are entertaining.
September 10, 2023
This was an odd story. I was glad I saw the Kirkus review that said it could be read as an allegory because all the people he meets are so ridiculous. Ambiguous ending.
December 31, 2024
An allegory tale, and one that makes you ponder about it after you finish reading it. I liked it, but having just finished it, I am not yet sure how much I liked it.
February 8, 2026
Not quite poignant enough to be touching, not quite psychedelic enough to be fun.
August 3, 2019
she did steal almost the entirety of this plot from Plato's allegory of the cave but considering it was good enough for the author of city of ember to steal this plot for her own book that can be overlooked. good fifth grade memories. dilar got on my nerves but that's somewhat forgivable
October 30, 2015
There was a family that would live on a rafts going through the cannon day after day seeing and doing the same thing over and over. they did not want change they only new that they were going to a new land and that one day they will hit that land and be happy again. well there was a boy that did not want to wait he did not like the day after day doing and saying the same things if they spoke. nothing was new not even the rocks that they past or the food they ate which was fish if they caught any that day. the boy ventured out and jumped onto the land and stay there a couple of days until a person carried him off to their land the new land everything to him was new and he had to adapt to the change of food clothing etc.
I did like how the boy had and got courage to find new place and to have the strength to leave his family and all that he new. his name was Dilar after a week in the new place he was happy and he was happy with the new and enlighten ones (the new people.)
I did like how the boy had and got courage to find new place and to have the strength to leave his family and all that he new. his name was Dilar after a week in the new place he was happy and he was happy with the new and enlighten ones (the new people.)
August 2, 2023
Dilar lives with his people on rafts in an underground river. He escapes the mountain and meets various other groups of people, all seemingly worse than the group before.
I didn't care for this book. I don't think I liked the point the author was trying to make.
I didn't care for this book. I don't think I liked the point the author was trying to make.
April 16, 2015
Liked the Odyssey-like style.
Reading The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau reminded me of this a bit.
Reading The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau reminded me of this a bit.
April 20, 2017
Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-r...
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