The Secret Journey

by Peg Kehret

After accidentally stowing away aboard a slave ship bound for Africa, twelve-year-old Emma is shipwrecked and left stranded on the African coast, where she survives with the help of chimpanzees and lizards.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Africa, Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Peg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.

When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.

A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."

Reviews

[unknown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some good comes of every difficulty.

Sometimes a book enters your life and leaves such a profound impact, you remember reading it like it was yesterday when it in fact you read it decades ago. Did I mention this is my favorite book in the entire world?

No book has managed to replace it.

This book started my love of books in general. I believe I was at a book fair at my elementary school. All of the young children in the library were ordered to keep their hands behind their back. Then we were allowed the privilege of walking past and setting eyes on the jewels of the book fair. This book must have caught my child eye all those many years ago. I knew even back then this book has outstanding character development. The main character is the admirable Emma. She eventually finds her footing after getting kicked up in a shit storm. She becomes - Better. Stronger. Resilient.

Mini Playlist

1. Emile Pandolfi - Once Upon A December

2. Christina Aguilera - Fighter

"Makes me that much stronger, Makes me work a little bit harder, It makes me that much wiser, So thanks for making me a fighter, Made me learn a little bit faster, Made my skin a little bit thicker, Makes me that much smarter, So thanks for making me a fighter.”

Spoilers ahead: One of my favorite parts still today, decades after I read this book intitially, is Emma giving Odolf a taste of his own medicine.

Before character development:

"Odolf lunged at Emma, grabbed her wrist, and twisted her arm behind her. ‘Take that back,’ he demanded. ‘Say I’m not a liar.’ Emma gritted her teeth and refused to speak. Odolf bent her arm farther, sending jolts of pain from Emma’s wrist to her shoulder. ‘Take it back!’ He’s going to break my arm, Emma thought, and then I won’t be able to run away and find the Wayfarer. ‘You are not a liar,’ she mumbled.” pp. 14

After character development:

"’You once called me a liar,” Odolf said, “but now you’re the one who’s lying.’ ‘Do you consider it honest,’ Emma said, ‘to take the money sent for my care and not tell my parents I had left? How long would that lie have continued if I had no returned?’ ‘You take that back!’ Odolf said. He grabbed for Emma’s arm, to twist it behind her, but Emma caught his hand and pushed it away.’ Odolf blinked in surprise; his face flushed with anger. He lunged at Emma. She put both hands on his shoulders and shoved him so hard that he stumbled backward, hitting his head against the wall.’ ‘Don’t ever touch me again,’ she said.” pp. 131

Emma talks about her drastic changes, “Her slender frame, her uneven haircut, and her tanned skin were small changes. The big difference in Emma was on the inside.”

Reading this book as an adult is even more of a treat than when I was young. I appreciate Peg Kehret’s research for her book.

I plan to reread this book in more depth and write a lengthier review, hurray for rereading!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

read it a long time ago, but i remember it was one of my favourite books about 5 years ago! :)

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "The Secret Journey," Emma Bolton's mother is very sick. The only way she can survive is if she sails overseas to a special doctor. The journey could take a year, so Emma must stay with her aunt and her awful cousin who terrorizes her. To avoid the trauma, she makes a plan to sneak on board her parent's ship. Only when she is finally aboard, she sees that she is on the wrong ship... Sailing to Africa...

One connection I can make is text-to-self. If I were put in the same situation, I would definitely do the same thing. I think sailing with your parents would be much better than staying with a horrid cousin. Even your dad would be furious with you, when he told you not to go. Also, it might have been years since she saw them again, so I would not want to take that chance.

I gave this book three stars. I gave it this rating because I felt that for the most part, it was very descriptive and enjoyable. It was a short read, but I enjoyed reading it.

[Megan Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have fond memories of reading this as a kid. As an adult it's much more ridiculous and unbelievable, but still a pretty good adventure. Annoying ending, though, a bit of a copout. Not my favorite.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun read to keep me on track. i like stranded on an island books. i was expecting it to feel hardy-boyish but it wasnt so im happy with this read.

[Jaylynn Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book The Secret Journey by Peg Kehret. This book was about how a young girl named Emma has to go live with her aunt because her mother is dying and has to travel to France by boat. But Emma hates her aunt Martha so she runs away the day her parents leave for France. Emma decides that she will have to sneak on the boat so her parents don't know that she ran away but by accident gets caught on the wrong ship. She cuts her hair short and wears boy clothes so that no one will know who she is. The ship that Emma goes on eventually sinks and Emma is the only one to survive. She ends up stranded on an Island. This book is about her adventures and survival skills will Emma get saved and taken back to her parents? Well you will just have to read the book to find out.
This book was interesting because Emma had to act and dress like a boy for almost three months. I rated this book a four star because it was a really amazing book and I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and survival.

[Maria . · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big Peg Kehret fan, this was a must-read. and I wasn't disappointed. ;)
Plot: Emma was a carefree, happy girl until IT happened. IT was her beloved mother getting sick. Now, Emma hears the startling news- her father and mother are going on a ship to France. France will a beautiful place with gorgeous sights and the warm weather Emma's mother needs. But- uh oh- Emma isn't coming. Instead, she's going to stay with her and aunt her spoiled brat of a cousin Odolf. Well, that's not happening. Emma sneaks unto.... the wrong ship. She finds out too late that she's on a slave ship. Emma goes through a whirlwind of adventures- life on a ship, being stranded, survival, being rescued.......
This was a great, cozy book. By cozy, I mean great to read with a cup of hot chocolate. :D Adventure and excitement. Lots of character development. An awesome protaginist. I advise that you should read it too!

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, we liked this book ... I read it by myself first just for a fun and quick read and knew the kids would enjoy its adventure and was therefore willing to read it again a second time.

It's fun. It's adventurous. There are things that can be learned from it. I almost gave it 3 (really 3 1/2) stars but seeing as to how much my kids liked it I decided to give it four. As for me, I wanted to be able to believe the story a bit more or be able to connect more with the character.

I would have loved to read about extra things such as how she felt after putting on a dress after four months of wearing boy clothes. But, alas, putting my pickiness aside, it was a pretty good book and, as I mentioned, a fun little read.

[Jenifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this book is actually one from her "frightmares" series, but it might be a little scarry for young teens. I enjoy reading young adult fiction because I can get through a book faster, but I found this one to be over-simple, which made the story less believable, but good for the audience it was intended for. I love that at the end of the book the author lists research sources and describes the work she went through to make even minor details of the book authentic. Reminding young writers that they need to put some work into their stories--something I never would have thought of doing as a young writer in mid/high school.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like this author, but this book has a lot of problems. This book tells instead of showing. While I appreciate Kehret's love of animals, this one seems forced considering the setting, 1834 England and Africa. Which brings me to my main complaint about this book- for a story set in 1834 England, Emma has the voice of a 20th century American girl. At no time did I get a British flavor from this story. Emma also worries about getting sick from mosquitoes or water. Doctors didn't know much about germs in that time period; they didn't even wash their hands between. The whole story was so contrived and false for the time period.

[Shallyn Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its about this girls mother thats very sick and they cant have there little girl live with them anymore because they have to go to France to cure her mother so she has to go live with her cousin witch she hates terribly because he beats her up and makes fun of her.so one night she disides to sneak out and dress up like a boy and sail on the ship that her mom and dad are sailing on.and instead not knowing she borded a slave boat instead.To know more and see what happends next you will have to read it!

[Avynlee Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is extremely full of adventure and it keeps you in a creative and adventurous mood. The main character : Emma Bolton is the most courageous girl of this book. She has so much potential and really believes in herself which makes the story even more exciting! All of the adventures and new discoveries she finds really keeps you in an electrifying mood. The story is really understandable and you never know what new things Emma will find or what she will do about the next problem she falls into. I really liked this book and highly recommend it!

[Mattie Larocque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a little girl. I loved it for a few reasons. One, the main character has the same name as me. Two, the adventure. I lived in England, traveled on a boat and survived the sinking and then survived in Africa as a little ten year old girl reading a book on her bed. This is one of the many books I remember reading. I highly recommend this book if you have kids. I guarantee they will enjoy it.

[Cathy Hendren]

Emma's mom is going to be taken to France because she has consumption. Emma decides to stow away on the ship. One of the dock workers sends her to a slave trading ship. She is found out and works as a cabin boy. The ship is wrecked in a storm off of Africa where Emma has to figure out how to survive.

[Book Believer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Secret Journey" is by far one of my favorite books of all time. When I was in Elementary school I came across this book in the library. Everyone was reaching for really popular books like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, instead I reached for the book in the dusty corner. I have no words to describe how much I adored this book. This is truly a hidden little treasure.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastically written story about a girl who beats the odds and emerges stronger than she ever thought she could be. This is a great story for young girls, a story that reminds them when life seems unfair or difficult, they can either let it beat them down or rise to the occasion. I loved this story and it will be in my top picks for my classroom library.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as other girl-stows-away-aboard-ship-as-a-boy stories I've read, notably The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi.

[Lacie Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I was in 3rd grade I've dwelled on Peg Kehret's thrilling children stories. The Secret Journey is less like her style, but I'm impressed in the detail, and I've liked this one for a long time. It's a great story to read to and 8 year old.

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book, but i wish this book talked about how she survived. I also wish this book talked about what happened to her mom and aunt, and if she ever told her parents about her surviving in Africa.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this tonight to screen it for my 10 year-old. It was perfect - fast paced, action packed and fun. The language and situations were age-appropriate, and the lessons were relevant for a young reader. She's going to love it.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Peg Kehret book I read was Small Steps: The Year I got Polio. I remember really liking that book, so I thought I'd try another Peg Kehret. This one was (obviously) so different from Small Steps... both books so good, but for vastly different reasons.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a young British girl who just wants to see her sick mother in France... but makes a life-changing mistake and gets stranded in the jungles of Africa! I recommend this to any fan of Peg Kheret.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The secret journey shows the life of a young women when her mother dies and how she carries on her life through an amazing journey. Very adventurous and pushed the reader to feel what she is going through.

[Salvador Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Journey was pretty interesting because Emma Bolton was on a Journey to France on a voyage with her father and sick mother.Mostly the main reason was to because of aunt Martha and her hateful cousin or family member Odolf.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had gotten this book for free a few years ago and I finally read it. I thought it was pretty cute and it was good.

[Zofii · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome book! :P

though i read it a really long time ago...

[Brynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about survival. This book has the key to unlocking my bookworld happiness.

[Janice Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun and sad

[Ponita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book but the boring part is when she got stuck in Africa an she just stayed there and watch the animals and explain little parts about it.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I read this in one sitting it wasn't the amazing book I was hoping for it to be. I was mildly entertained.