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Arch of Bone
Continuing the story from where Moby Dick left off, this compelling boyhood adventure, penned by beloved author Jane Yolen (Owl Moon), hearkens to timeless coming of age tales of yore. Lovingly illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, the journey of a boy and his dog comes to life on the page, renewing the joy of a classic tale.
"The Hans Christian Andersen of America"
--Newsweek
When a rough sailor called Ishmael turns up on a family's doorstep, even loyal dog Zeke knows that the news is ruinous.
Ishmael comes bearing the tragic tale of the Pequod: the whaling ship that fourteen-year-old Josiah's father served on as first mate. Ishmael presents himself as the sole survivor of the deadly journey, fatally lead by the vengeful Captain Ahab and his obsession with the legendary white whale, Moby Dick. But Josiah is not so certain his father's death was that simple. Especially when Ishmael looks so boldly at Josiah's devout Quaker mother.
Josiah is almost of age in Nantucket, and he still cherishes his dream of following in his father's footsteps. He is yet too young to sign on to a ship's crew, but he yearns to be at sea.
Yet adventure has a way of finding a boy and his dog. The true vision of his father's death--as well as the difficult tasks of surviving, growing up, and finding his strength--await Josiah, when he and Zeke discover the secrets of the Pequod at the mysterious Arch of Bone.
"The Hans Christian Andersen of America"
--Newsweek
When a rough sailor called Ishmael turns up on a family's doorstep, even loyal dog Zeke knows that the news is ruinous.
Ishmael comes bearing the tragic tale of the Pequod: the whaling ship that fourteen-year-old Josiah's father served on as first mate. Ishmael presents himself as the sole survivor of the deadly journey, fatally lead by the vengeful Captain Ahab and his obsession with the legendary white whale, Moby Dick. But Josiah is not so certain his father's death was that simple. Especially when Ishmael looks so boldly at Josiah's devout Quaker mother.
Josiah is almost of age in Nantucket, and he still cherishes his dream of following in his father's footsteps. He is yet too young to sign on to a ship's crew, but he yearns to be at sea.
Yet adventure has a way of finding a boy and his dog. The true vision of his father's death--as well as the difficult tasks of surviving, growing up, and finding his strength--await Josiah, when he and Zeke discover the secrets of the Pequod at the mysterious Arch of Bone.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
3 people are currently reading
1379 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
971 books3,229 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 9, 2021
I love Jane Yolen and really thought I would like this book. I ended up not being able to finish this. I did not like the writing style or tone for this book. Rare to have a miss for Yolen and me. Sad. Arrr!
April 25, 2021
DRC from Edelweiss and Baker and Taylor
Survivor story told in the first person. Josiah, 14 years old, and his mother get the news that he ship his father was on has sunk. There is only one survivor - Ishmael. He is the one to bring the news to the family. When his mother starts paying attention to Ishmael and invites him to stay at their house, Josiah runs away. They live on Nantucket - so he takes a sailboat and, along with his dog, goes. They get caught in a storm and blown off course, crashing onto a deserted island. There they find an Arch - a whale jaw. Anytime Josiah leans against it and naps, he has realistic dreams about his father's ship. Josiah must use all his father has taught him to stay alive. When, after a few weeks, he finally gets the ship repaired, he and his dog return home.
Dialog at the beginning is told in Old English, which might be a bit off putting to students - but once he leaves, it ends.
Survivor story told in the first person. Josiah, 14 years old, and his mother get the news that he ship his father was on has sunk. There is only one survivor - Ishmael. He is the one to bring the news to the family. When his mother starts paying attention to Ishmael and invites him to stay at their house, Josiah runs away. They live on Nantucket - so he takes a sailboat and, along with his dog, goes. They get caught in a storm and blown off course, crashing onto a deserted island. There they find an Arch - a whale jaw. Anytime Josiah leans against it and naps, he has realistic dreams about his father's ship. Josiah must use all his father has taught him to stay alive. When, after a few weeks, he finally gets the ship repaired, he and his dog return home.
Dialog at the beginning is told in Old English, which might be a bit off putting to students - but once he leaves, it ends.
October 18, 2021
Arch of Bone picks up some threads from Moby Dick and weaves them into a children's adventure story about a boy (the son of Starbuck from Melville's classic) stranded at sea with just his dog for company. Before we get to the adventure story, though, there's a not inconsiderable amount of summary of the original, via Ishmael explaining to Starbuck's widow and child what took place on the ill-fated whaler. It’s a novel (pardon the pun) way to abridge a story, and works relatively well, essentially recapping Moby Dick for children who can’t reasonably be assumed to have read it, before moving into the original story that’s focused on Starbuck’s son, Josiah. Some of the little asides and bits of commentary from Josiah and his mother during this recap portion are amusing (like snide comments on how long-winded Ishmael’s own asides on whale anatomy are), others feel heavy-handed, a mix that characterizes the entire book. There’s the drama and excitement of a boat lost at sea, a sailor (well, dog) overboard, a boy trying to survive in the wilderness. But there are also some slightly tedious repetitions that feel unnecessary in a fairly short book, and the slightly more...spiritual, I suppose, aspects of the story feel like they come out of nowhere. The first half of the story doesn’t really set one up for paternal spectres and psychic dreams, so it feels kind of disjointed.
On the whole, I’d say Arch of Bone does its job of creating a Moby Dick-esque tale for younger readers competently, albeit not brilliantly. But I honestly wish there was less attempt to drag so much of the actual Melville into it - let it be a spin-off or sequel, but let it stand on its own a little, too. Kids who read and love Arch of Bone might read Moby Dick someday (speaking from experience, as the kind of kid who was obsessed with historical and especially nautical adventure stories!), but this feels a little too much like trying to teach the classic by means of a more child-friendly tale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
On the whole, I’d say Arch of Bone does its job of creating a Moby Dick-esque tale for younger readers competently, albeit not brilliantly. But I honestly wish there was less attempt to drag so much of the actual Melville into it - let it be a spin-off or sequel, but let it stand on its own a little, too. Kids who read and love Arch of Bone might read Moby Dick someday (speaking from experience, as the kind of kid who was obsessed with historical and especially nautical adventure stories!), but this feels a little too much like trying to teach the classic by means of a more child-friendly tale.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2021
Yolen writes her books with history and heart. This is the story of Starbuck's son. The Starbuck from MOBY DICK fame, not Battlestar Galactica. It begins with Ismael going to Starbuck's home on Nantucket to let his wife and son know that he had perished on the high seas and he tells the story of Ahab and the White Whale, but that is only to connect the stories.
Starbuck's son is in denial and he is just becoming a young man at the age of fourteen. His anger and his fear about Ismael's seeming attachment to his mother, his burgeoning feelings that he doesn't quite understand cause him to take his boat that he and his father built together out on the ocean to be caught in a northeaster.
He finds himself stranded on one of the small uninhabited islands with only his dog, who he coaxed onto his boat, and there the adventure of growing up and dealing with life, survival, and his own feelings happen before he decides to not let life control him, but for him to control his life. He heard the stories of his father, not taking control of the Pequod, so that Ahab didn't end up killing his entire crew. He needed to find the strength to take control of his own life.
I have looked at a few reviews of this book and I was disappointed by them not finding the quiet beauty of the book. It is a book of finding oneself, of dealing with loss, of growing into the man or woman you should become.
Starbuck's son is in denial and he is just becoming a young man at the age of fourteen. His anger and his fear about Ismael's seeming attachment to his mother, his burgeoning feelings that he doesn't quite understand cause him to take his boat that he and his father built together out on the ocean to be caught in a northeaster.
He finds himself stranded on one of the small uninhabited islands with only his dog, who he coaxed onto his boat, and there the adventure of growing up and dealing with life, survival, and his own feelings happen before he decides to not let life control him, but for him to control his life. He heard the stories of his father, not taking control of the Pequod, so that Ahab didn't end up killing his entire crew. He needed to find the strength to take control of his own life.
I have looked at a few reviews of this book and I was disappointed by them not finding the quiet beauty of the book. It is a book of finding oneself, of dealing with loss, of growing into the man or woman you should become.
December 13, 2021
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
I really wanted to like this book. Jane Yolen is an author I have been reading for about twenty years. I adore what I can get my hands on for the most part. The biggest complaint I have ever had was that she can be really long winded at times. This book is the perfect example of this.
30% of the way through the book and there is no adventure. There is just lots of explanations of Quakers and lots of repressed emotions. There is nothing interesting happening. It shouldn’t have taken me almost a week to read five chapters in a middle grade or YA book. I can power through one or two in a day. This one took me almost a week to read 30%.
I can’t say the story gets better. I was so bored that I ended up DNF and grumpy about it. Maybe it will work better for someone else, but if a third of the book goes by with nothing happening in a book that is supposed to have adventure I am a little annoyed. The dog in the story also annoyed me. He was so perfect and just a plot device, he had no character and it was like someone who had never met a dog wrote him. Zeke was conveniently not a part of the story when Josiah didn’t need someone to talk to or look at while he had repressed angst.
I had been counting down the days to when I could start reading this ARC. I begged the publisher for one. I was ready for Yolen to capture me in her magic again. I was let down.
I got an ARC of this book.
I really wanted to like this book. Jane Yolen is an author I have been reading for about twenty years. I adore what I can get my hands on for the most part. The biggest complaint I have ever had was that she can be really long winded at times. This book is the perfect example of this.
30% of the way through the book and there is no adventure. There is just lots of explanations of Quakers and lots of repressed emotions. There is nothing interesting happening. It shouldn’t have taken me almost a week to read five chapters in a middle grade or YA book. I can power through one or two in a day. This one took me almost a week to read 30%.
I can’t say the story gets better. I was so bored that I ended up DNF and grumpy about it. Maybe it will work better for someone else, but if a third of the book goes by with nothing happening in a book that is supposed to have adventure I am a little annoyed. The dog in the story also annoyed me. He was so perfect and just a plot device, he had no character and it was like someone who had never met a dog wrote him. Zeke was conveniently not a part of the story when Josiah didn’t need someone to talk to or look at while he had repressed angst.
I had been counting down the days to when I could start reading this ARC. I begged the publisher for one. I was ready for Yolen to capture me in her magic again. I was let down.
June 1, 2022
There are a few elements of fantasy in this story, in that the main character keeps having dreams or hallucinations related to the supposed death of his father, but otherwise it's straight historical fiction.
Amazingly enough, this is a sequel to Melville's Moby Dick, but written for young teens. The main character in the story is the son of first mate Starbuck of the Pequod, and the jarring news that his father is apparently dead kicks off the story, and triggers the decisions that lead to the book's crises.
If you've never read Moby Dick, but have sort of heard of it, you should still be able to understand this story, because Jane Yolen did a great job of summarizing the high points without turning them into an outline. The obsessive captain who is so domineering that he's really creepy, the slightly deranged harpooners and their boat crews, the moral first mate who just can't find a way to stand up to the captain successfully...these are all there. My only quibble is that Ishmael comes across rather oddly in this story, in his brief appearance. That may be because of the viewpoint character in those scenes, but he still seemed odd. I don't remember that feeling while reading Moby Dick, but that was a long time ago, and frankly, I was reading it as quickly as I could, because it was for school.
I do wonder if there are any other "you can't possibly make a sequel to that" stories out there that might be written, though.
Amazingly enough, this is a sequel to Melville's Moby Dick, but written for young teens. The main character in the story is the son of first mate Starbuck of the Pequod, and the jarring news that his father is apparently dead kicks off the story, and triggers the decisions that lead to the book's crises.
If you've never read Moby Dick, but have sort of heard of it, you should still be able to understand this story, because Jane Yolen did a great job of summarizing the high points without turning them into an outline. The obsessive captain who is so domineering that he's really creepy, the slightly deranged harpooners and their boat crews, the moral first mate who just can't find a way to stand up to the captain successfully...these are all there. My only quibble is that Ishmael comes across rather oddly in this story, in his brief appearance. That may be because of the viewpoint character in those scenes, but he still seemed odd. I don't remember that feeling while reading Moby Dick, but that was a long time ago, and frankly, I was reading it as quickly as I could, because it was for school.
I do wonder if there are any other "you can't possibly make a sequel to that" stories out there that might be written, though.
September 6, 2021
Arch of Bone
by Jane Yolen, Ruth Sanderson (illustrations)
Tachyon Publications
Children's Fiction | Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
I am reviewing a copy of Arch of Bone through Tachyon Publications and Netgalley:
Josiah Starbuck is a fourteen year old who dreams of joining the crew of a whaling ship someday, just like his father and his grandfather had. But when a ragged sailor arrives on his doorstep, Josiah’s world turns upside down.
The Sailor is named Ishmael, and he has terrible news: Josiah’s father, the first mate of the Pequod, is dead, along with the rest of the crew. Ishmael claims they were led to their doom by the mad Captain Ahab and Ahab’s hunt for the legendary white whale Moby-Dick.
But Josiah feels there is something more to his Fathers death, and he can’t understand how Ishmael survived when all the other crew died.
Grief-stricken, Josiah sets sail with his dog, Zeke, in order to find the truth of his father’s death. Can he and Zeke discover the secrets of the Pequod at the mysterious Arch of Bone?
I give Arch of Bone five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
by Jane Yolen, Ruth Sanderson (illustrations)
Tachyon Publications
Children's Fiction | Historical Fiction | Middle Grade
I am reviewing a copy of Arch of Bone through Tachyon Publications and Netgalley:
Josiah Starbuck is a fourteen year old who dreams of joining the crew of a whaling ship someday, just like his father and his grandfather had. But when a ragged sailor arrives on his doorstep, Josiah’s world turns upside down.
The Sailor is named Ishmael, and he has terrible news: Josiah’s father, the first mate of the Pequod, is dead, along with the rest of the crew. Ishmael claims they were led to their doom by the mad Captain Ahab and Ahab’s hunt for the legendary white whale Moby-Dick.
But Josiah feels there is something more to his Fathers death, and he can’t understand how Ishmael survived when all the other crew died.
Grief-stricken, Josiah sets sail with his dog, Zeke, in order to find the truth of his father’s death. Can he and Zeke discover the secrets of the Pequod at the mysterious Arch of Bone?
I give Arch of Bone five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
July 9, 2021
Apparently this is book 401 of Jane Yolen's long, award-winning career... I've had my eye on her for a very long time, I suppose it's finally time I gave her a chance, eh?
This was a very good book. It reminded me of Patricia McKillip A Changeling Sea: also sea-based, with a dead parent, and a child trying to grieve. This focuses less on the heavy stuff, but it's still there. It's mostly a fun adventure story, a boy-and-his-dog story, and the story of a boy longing for the sea. Or not necessarily the sea... just somewhere away from home, away from his father's death.
I dare someone to make their kid read Moby Dick and then this. I know which one they'll like more.
It's a bit of a survival story, even though it never feels like Josiah is in any real danger. With the help of his dad (what? not his actual dad, but dreams he has of his dad, at the titular arch of bone) he learns how to repair his ship and return home.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley (many thanks), but these are my honest thoughts
This was a very good book. It reminded me of Patricia McKillip A Changeling Sea: also sea-based, with a dead parent, and a child trying to grieve. This focuses less on the heavy stuff, but it's still there. It's mostly a fun adventure story, a boy-and-his-dog story, and the story of a boy longing for the sea. Or not necessarily the sea... just somewhere away from home, away from his father's death.
I dare someone to make their kid read Moby Dick and then this. I know which one they'll like more.
It's a bit of a survival story, even though it never feels like Josiah is in any real danger. With the help of his dad (what? not his actual dad, but dreams he has of his dad, at the titular arch of bone) he learns how to repair his ship and return home.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley (many thanks), but these are my honest thoughts
September 26, 2021
Arch of Bone is a tale spun about a 14 year old Josiah and his dog, Zeke. This tale follows the son of the first mate on the infamous Pequod, a ship under the command of Captain Ahab, who chased after the white Leviathan, Moby Dick.
As Captain Ahab lost all but one, Ishmael Black, to the famous white whale, Black was able to find the family of the first mate and told them the tale of what happened and how Josiah’s father would not be coming home. Grief stricken by the news Josiah sets out in his own boat for comfort but soon finds himself stranded on a small island with an Arch of Bone, made out of a whales jawbone. The series of events that takes place over the next couple weeks are a coming of age story to deal with anger, grief and loss of ones parent. It’s a great read and one I thoroughly enjoyed!
As Captain Ahab lost all but one, Ishmael Black, to the famous white whale, Black was able to find the family of the first mate and told them the tale of what happened and how Josiah’s father would not be coming home. Grief stricken by the news Josiah sets out in his own boat for comfort but soon finds himself stranded on a small island with an Arch of Bone, made out of a whales jawbone. The series of events that takes place over the next couple weeks are a coming of age story to deal with anger, grief and loss of ones parent. It’s a great read and one I thoroughly enjoyed!
November 3, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book is a reimagining of what happened after the events of Moby Dick when Ishmael returns to Nantucket to inform First Mate Starbuck’s family of the tragedy. This includes Starbuck’s wife and 14-year-old son, Josiah. Josiah thinks Ishmael is getting entirely too comfortable in his home and joins his friends down near the harbor. He decides to take his small boat out to clear his head but he gets caught in a sudden storm and blown off course away from Nantucket. Josiah and his dog, Zeke, are marooned on a small island with little provisions but they soon find a small fisherman’s hut and a large arch of whale bone. When Josiah falls asleep next to the arch, he has very vivid dreams, which could be clues to his survival.
I usually enjoy survivor stories – I loved Gary Paulsen’s Brian series – but this one just didn’t work for me. It was incredibly slow getting started, I almost put it down. The story did pick up once Josiah was stranded. However, the book is full of fishing and nautical terms that took away from the story telling. It’s very rare that I cannot recommend a book and, unfortunately, this is one of those times.
#NetGalley #ArchOfBone
This book is a reimagining of what happened after the events of Moby Dick when Ishmael returns to Nantucket to inform First Mate Starbuck’s family of the tragedy. This includes Starbuck’s wife and 14-year-old son, Josiah. Josiah thinks Ishmael is getting entirely too comfortable in his home and joins his friends down near the harbor. He decides to take his small boat out to clear his head but he gets caught in a sudden storm and blown off course away from Nantucket. Josiah and his dog, Zeke, are marooned on a small island with little provisions but they soon find a small fisherman’s hut and a large arch of whale bone. When Josiah falls asleep next to the arch, he has very vivid dreams, which could be clues to his survival.
I usually enjoy survivor stories – I loved Gary Paulsen’s Brian series – but this one just didn’t work for me. It was incredibly slow getting started, I almost put it down. The story did pick up once Josiah was stranded. However, the book is full of fishing and nautical terms that took away from the story telling. It’s very rare that I cannot recommend a book and, unfortunately, this is one of those times.
#NetGalley #ArchOfBone
January 14, 2022
I'm a Jane Yolen fan -- and this book is a new-to-me example of her neverending creativity and skill. Here she takes Moby Dick and delivers it to younger readers. When Ishmael comes to Starbuck's widow and son to tell them of the wreck of the Pequod and the death of everyone save himself, Josiah Starbuck is angry and confused. Is Ishmael telling the truth? And why does his mother treat him as a valued guest? Josiah longs to be a sailor like his father, and what was meant to be a short excursion to clear his head turns into a months-long challenge for survival. Many references to Melville's novel. Much information on Quakers, sailboats, nautical terms. Not for every reader, but perfect for many.
December 23, 2021
ARCH OF BONE by Jane Yolen
This is an homage to MOBY DICK, a tribute to those left behind (and might have helped my high school juniors deal with the long excerpt of that classic we read in Am. Lit.)
Starbuck’s son Josiah, hearing the news brought by Ishmael, sets off in small catboat to clear his head, and thus begins his own ordeal at sea, as he works to make sense of the loss and to find his place in the world. The ending has a lovely touch (which I will not spoil, of course). Listed as Juvenile Fiction, but I happily read well-written works for any age, and this is lovely.
This is an homage to MOBY DICK, a tribute to those left behind (and might have helped my high school juniors deal with the long excerpt of that classic we read in Am. Lit.)
Starbuck’s son Josiah, hearing the news brought by Ishmael, sets off in small catboat to clear his head, and thus begins his own ordeal at sea, as he works to make sense of the loss and to find his place in the world. The ending has a lovely touch (which I will not spoil, of course). Listed as Juvenile Fiction, but I happily read well-written works for any age, and this is lovely.
December 20, 2021
As an English major, I was drawn to this book for its Moby Dick backstory, but also Jane Yolen's talent and reputation. This coming of age tale reminded me of how much I loved Jean Carter Craig's My Side of the Mountain when I was in grade school - both featuring a young boy striking out into the unknown to help him figure out who he is and who he wants to be.
Thanks to John Scalzi for featuring this book on his Whatever blog back in November.
Thanks to John Scalzi for featuring this book on his Whatever blog back in November.
March 5, 2023
Meh. I got it as part of a Humble Bundle fantasy promotion, and although I quite liked Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon books when I was in middle school, this felt a bit like a Message book, in which a young reader is encouraged to work through the death of a parent while also being introduce to Moby Dick. Props for casting shade on Ishmael as someone who never quits talking and can't get to the point, though.
Quite good illustrations, though, and I liked the Very Good Dog.
Quite good illustrations, though, and I liked the Very Good Dog.
October 18, 2021
When 14 year old Josiah Starbuck finds out his dad has died on the Captain Ahab’s whaling boat, the Pequod, Josiah sets out in a boat on his own to find the truth of his father’s death.
With plenty of Moby Dick references, this is a new book with an old soul. Jane Yolen is a fantastic author, and this book made for a great read aloud
With plenty of Moby Dick references, this is a new book with an old soul. Jane Yolen is a fantastic author, and this book made for a great read aloud
February 21, 2022
While I occasionally read YA, I wasn't sure that I would enjoy Arch of Bone because of the connection to whaling. Luckily, I found the story engrossing once I had time to read it and hunting whales wasn't the focus of the book. The cover art and interiors are well done. I will pass it on to my step-grandson.
January 1, 2024
I was so disappointed by this. Jane Yolen has been an author I have admired for a long time. This was just not up to my expectations for a book with her name on it.
It was boring, long winded and not in any way believable. The best part of the whole book was the dog...who doesn't die!
A sad book to end the year with. Would not recommend.
It was boring, long winded and not in any way believable. The best part of the whole book was the dog...who doesn't die!
A sad book to end the year with. Would not recommend.
December 24, 2021
Another book that makes one wonder who the audience is. Though when I was in elementary school, I had to read a children’s version and perform in a skit of Moby Dick. So I guess I would have been the audience back then. This book is in a style that feels like it was written decades ago.
February 15, 2022
Yolen took us back to Nantucket to see how a boy's life was impacted by the news that his father had died on his whaling trip on the Pequad. His adventure with his dog will most assuredly appeal to middle schoolers and beyond.
September 5, 2024
It’s been a looong time since I read “Moby Dick” and I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. But I really enjoyed it! I did feel like a few storylines were not wrapped up, so I wish this had been a couple chapters longer.
December 8, 2021
I found this retelling of MobyDick long and boring. Sometimes I ask myself "Who did the author write this story for?'
April 16, 2022
I never could get through Moby Dick but figured I could tackle this continuation of the story. This was an easy read but it felt like it ended too early without telling the final part of the story.
May 21, 2022
4 star book that lost half a point for dream sequences and another for an absurdly abrupt ending.
April 7, 2023
Surprisingly good take on a Moby Dick side story. Not what I expected by it was highly enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews