Lobster Boy

by Rodman Philbrick

12-year-old Samuel 'Skiff' Beaman is a boy with incredible determination in the face of adversity. Since the death of his mother, his father has sunk into an alcoholic depression, and now Skiff's pride and joy, their boat the Mary Rose has sunk too. If only he can raise and fix Rose, Skiff is sure he'll be able to get the family business, and his dad, back on track. But to fix the boat he needs $5000. With his father penniless and hopeless, Skiff is determined to raise the money himself-by going out on the open ocean all alone, on a dangerous mission to harpoon a prize giant tuna.

Genres: Book Club

Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Aka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper'. And 'Nine Levels Down'.

Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen in 1998 as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson.

Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, is the author of a number of novels for young readers, including 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds' and 'The Young Man And The Sea'. His recent novels for adults include 'Dark Matter', 'Coffins', and 'Taken'. He and his wife divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys.

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First this volume has been published under two different titles in North America it is published as ‘The Young Man and the Sea’ in the UK it is published as ‘Lobster Boy’, at the time of the writing of this review there are 27 editions on Goodreads under the former name and 3 under the latter. Apparently Philbrick wanted the ‘Lobster Boy’ title, but the publisher kept referring to as ‘The Young Man and the Sea’ and it ended up sticking. And it has been through a wide range of covers over the last 12 years.

A few months ago I was having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said this Freak the Mighty, no hesitation, no pause just an immediate answer. I looked it up later in the day and discovered there was two books in that series and also a movie. While working on the review of the first Mighty book, I found at least a dozen I was interested in just from the titles. So this is the sixth volume by Rodman reading not quite one every other week, and every time I read one the list of ones I want to read grows! I have now compiled a list of all books published by Philbrick, under his various pen names. I enjoyed that first one so much I had picked up 3 other volumes by Philbrick before I even finished it! And by the time I had read three I had picked up nearly a dozen.

I have been publishing reviews for 21 years now, first in papers and magazines and then on my blog and other platforms. I continue to read and write reviews because I must. I am a dyslexic bibliophile. I have tagged Scholastic over 450 times on my blog for reviews of books, or for my Top Ten Lists each quarter or year. I was greatly surprised I had not encountered Philbrick, it was absolutely my loss. Back to the book at hand.

The description of the ‘The Young Man and the Sea’ edition states:

“A story of determination and survival from the acclaimed author of FREAK THE MIGHTY. "This thrilling and elegant book ... will hold the interest of even the most stalwart landlubber." -- PW

Twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman's mom just died, and his fisherman dad is too depressed to drag himself off the couch and go to work. So these days Skiff has to take care of everything himself.

But when his dad's boat sinks, Skiff discovers it will cost thousands to buy a new engine. Skiff's lobster traps won't earn him enough, but there are bigger fish in the sea -- bluefin tuna. If he can catch one of those monster fish, Skiff just might save the boat -- and his family.”

The description of the ‘Lobster Boy’ edition states:

“Skiff Beaman has a problem. A BIG problem. He needs to fix up his family's fishing boat, but to do that he needs money. A whole heap of money.His father isn't going to help – he can't see further than the next can of beer since Skiff's mother died – and nor is his classmate, Tyler, inventor of the nickname "Lobster Boy".But Skiff can still hear his mother's voice telling him "Never give up". So he comes up with a plan. It's crazy, it's dangerous, and it's going to take all Skiff's grit and strength to win a great battle against the sea. An inspirational and compelling action-packed tale by the internationally bestselling author, Rodman Philbrick.”

About the author in another volume we are informed:

“After years of writing mysteries and suspense thrillers for adults, Rodman Philbrick decided to try his hand at a novel for young readers. That novel, Freak the Mighty, was published in 1993 to great acclaim and stellar reviews. In addition to being named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winning several state awards, it was also made into the Miramax feature film The Mighty in 1998. Rod returns to Maxwell Kane’s story in a sequel, Max the Mighty, a fast-paced cross-country odyssey.
Rod takes young readers to the American West in his exhilarating tale of two brothers on the run in The Fire Pony, winner of the Capital Choice Award, and on to a land where nothing is as it seems in the science-fiction adventure REM World. His thought-provoking novel The Last Book in the Universe, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, takes place in a futuristic world where no one reads anymore. Rod thought back to his New England roots and knowledge of boat building to write The Young Man and the Sea. School Library Journal praised its “wide-open adventure” and “heart-pounding suspense” and named it a Best Book of the Year in 2004.
Rodman Philbrick has also written several spine-tingling series for young readers with his wife, Lynn Harnett, including The House on Cherry Street and The Werewolf Chronicles. Rod and Lynn divide their time between homes on the coast of Maine and in the Florida Keys.”

There are supplemental sections at the end of each edition. For the US edition they are:

Acknowledgements
About the Author
Q&A with Rodman Philbrick
Rod’s Writing Tips
A Sneak Peek at Freak the Mighty

In the UK Edition they are:

A Conversation with Rodman Philbrick
About the Author (In his own words)
Sneak Preview of Fire Pony by Rodman Philbrick
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
More Usborne fiction

A quick check and the text appears to be identical or nearly so.

This story could be considered a school story because of the school age protagonist, but the events take place over summer vacation. But in many ways it is a father son story. It is a story of both of them dealing with loss. And the son, Skiff Beaman, is just trying to keep things up after the passing of his mother. He wants to restore the family boat in the hopes his father will start working again. He wants to fix things, first the boat, then his father. But life at times is a lot harder than many expect. And Skiff is just trying to live by the three rules him mother instilled in him, and her voice reminding him what she would say in different situations.

The volume is clearly written in homage to The Old Man and the Sea, And Moby Dick. It is written in a way that when young readers encounter them later in life they will recognize the echoes. And for us older readers we will se a similar story with very different eyes.

This is another excellent story from Philbrick’s masterful pen. It reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements or Gordon Korman, Tony Abbott, and Dan Gutman. All of whom I loved and have read numerous stories. Because of the various genres he writes in I am beginning to think of him as an American Arthur Slade. I am really surprised I had not encountered the author previously. These first six books are so great; I might just end up reading everything from the author. After reading more Philbrick I am also being reminded more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.

This is another one of those excellent stories for middle grade or tween readers. It is even strong enough for us older folks for I am in my mid 50’s and could not put it down and read it over an afternoon, over several mugs of tea. It is a very moving story, one I can easily recommend. And I know I will be reading more by Philbrick and the various names he publishes under!

[Marley Mahon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this book but I liked it more and more as the book went on. I would've liked to see a little bit more in the book like a love triangle or something that would make it that bit more interesting but I still enjoyed it nonetheless

[Amelie Place · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting and thrilling!An enjoyable read!

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rodman Philbrick's characters pull at your heartstrings. A previous novel of his, Freak the Mighty, would be a great read for young (and older) readers who are looking for another reading experience like Wonder by Palacio - deeply moving and inspiring. Similarly, Lobster Boy is an inspiring, touching tale of 12 year old Skiff Bearman, whose mother has recently died and his fisherman father has retreated into an alcoholic haze. Skiff finds that he needs to be man enough to carry himself and his father through the troubles they are in. Somehow, with help from old friends of his father's, Skiff powers through adversity and despair, with his mother's words ever present: 'Never Give Up'. The first-person narrative, and you share Skiff's thoughts and his life, is very powerful, and this is one of those page-turning books - y0u can't stop reading it.
I can't wait to read more of Rodman Philbrick's novels; and I recommend his books to any child/teen/adult who has enjoyed the books and style of Sharon Creech, Mark Twain, Louis Sachar, Karen Hesse and Gary Paulsen.

At the end, there is a very interesting 'Conversation' and 'About the Author' that reveals the book was partly inspired by Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, so this is another recommendation for those who want more books like Lobster Boy. Possibly Tim Winton's Blue Back could also be another good read after Lobster Boy.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skiff Beaman takes on the world single-handedly, well almost! A life-affirming tale of a young boy trying to come to terms with the death of his mother, and cope with a father who has turned his back on life and drowning his sorrows with alcohol. Their fishing boat has sunk and needs money for repairs, and Skiff hatches on a plan to make money.......... lots of it. Suffice to say that things do not go to plan. Skiff's long journey out to sea is harrowing and full of adventure. A fast-paced read, completed in one sitting, but will stay with me for a long time.

[Mr_Tuckerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

...or, the young man and the sea.

I like the underdog that Phillbrick writes in his books. Lots of technical stuff about boat building and fishing which might limit its audience.

[Felipe Echandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lobster Boy is a book about a 12 year old kid. His boat sinks when he is at school and his father doesn’t care. He knows an old man that lives nearby that can show him how to repair the boat it is really hard .Skiff, the boy ask help from the man so the man teaches him and helps him. When they finish repairing the boat the man says that the motor doesn’t work so it will be very expensive to repair it. Skiff doesn’t have the money but he has an idea of how to get it. First he catches and sells lobster with a smaller boat. Skiff made lots of money like that but then somebody starts steeling his traps. Since he doesn’t know who is the robber he decides to catch a blue fin tuna. Skiff only needs one because they are really valuable. The next day Skiff decides to go fishing and when he is in the sea he sees a blue fin tuna. When he gets nearby the tuna goes away. All of a sudden another one jumps in front of Skiff and he gets it. When he gets home nobody could believe that he had caught it. With the money he got he could buy a new motor and repair his old.

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

With his mother long gone and buried and his father, a drunk, who hasn't gotten off the couch for several months, Samuels boat sinks and without is he will have no chance to have his father quit drinking and make a income to support the two of them. Samuel finds a solution, and goes out in his skiff and baits enough lobster traps to make enough money for a new boat. The next day later all of Samuels lines were cut and he has suspicions about Tyler Croft, a spoiled rich jerk who has hated him for years. Samuel goes on to going out in a eight foot skiff twenty miles from shore so he could catch a thousand dollar fish like the one he heard about in the news so he could buy the boat. Samuel catches the fish after several encounters and is stranded in the ocean with no food or water. Soon his father comes and rescues his son from the jaws of death in a thousand dollar boat that was Tyler Croft's father who felt bad about his son cutting the lines. Samuel may have been on a scary ride but he got enough money from the fish that he and his recovering father could buy a new boat.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

"They say a thing that's broke can always be fixed, if you work at it. And that's what I intend to do, no matter what."

"Makes you never want to wake up, but in the end you got no choice, that's the way it works in this world. You got to wake up, or disappear."

"Blood is blood, and you got to keep together with your family, even if they mess up. Friends, too."

Soundtrack: I'm Just A Kid by Simple Plan

[Hind Shami]

AMAZING

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING
i loved this book
it is about a boy named skiff and his dad does not care about him