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Ghost Canoe
Award-winning author and master of adventure Will Hobbs delivers a breathless mystery that will have readers on the edge of their seats!
After a sailing ship breaks up on the rocks off Washington's storm-tossed Cape Flattery, Nathan McAllister, the fourteen-year-old son of the lighthouse keeper, refuses to believe the authorities, who say there were no survivors. Unexplained footprints on a desolate beach, a theft at the trading post, and glimpses of a wild mystery man convince Nathan that someone is hiding in the remote sea caves along the coast.
With his new friend, Lighthouse George, a fisherman from the famed Makah whaling tribe, Nathan paddles the fierce waters of the Pacific searching for clues. And once alone in the forest, Nathan may have found a ghostly canoe and a skeleton that may unlock the mystery of ancient treasure, betrayal . . .and murder.
This thrilling middle grade adventure from Will Hobbs, a former teacher and the author of beloved books such as Far North, was chosen for Georgia's Children's Book Award Masterlist.
After a sailing ship breaks up on the rocks off Washington's storm-tossed Cape Flattery, Nathan McAllister, the fourteen-year-old son of the lighthouse keeper, refuses to believe the authorities, who say there were no survivors. Unexplained footprints on a desolate beach, a theft at the trading post, and glimpses of a wild mystery man convince Nathan that someone is hiding in the remote sea caves along the coast.
With his new friend, Lighthouse George, a fisherman from the famed Makah whaling tribe, Nathan paddles the fierce waters of the Pacific searching for clues. And once alone in the forest, Nathan may have found a ghostly canoe and a skeleton that may unlock the mystery of ancient treasure, betrayal . . .and murder.
This thrilling middle grade adventure from Will Hobbs, a former teacher and the author of beloved books such as Far North, was chosen for Georgia's Children's Book Award Masterlist.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 1997
36 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Will Hobbs
29 books170 followersWILL HOBBS is the author of seventeen novels for upper elementary, middle school and young adult readers, as well as two picture book stories. Seven of his novels, Bearstone, Downriver, The Big Wander, Beardance, Far North, The Maze, and Jason's Gold, were named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. ALA also named Far North and Downriver to their list of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of the Twentieth Centrury. Ghost Canoe received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1998 for Best Young Adult Mystery.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
In outdoor stories that appeal to both boys and girls, Hobbs has readers discovering wild places, sharing adventures with people from varied backgrounds, and exploring how to make important choices in their own lives. A graduate of Stanford University and former reading and language arts teacher, Will has been a full-time writer since 1990. He lives with his wife, Jean, in Durango, Colorado.
Will's books have won many other awards, including the California Young Reader Medal, the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award, the Colorado Book Award, and nominations to state award lists in over thirty states.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
May 25, 2008
This book is terrible. It has potential, though. A boy and his family in the Northwest with a bunch of Native Americans, and a greedy dude who will gladly kill you for some Spanish treasure. But....
IT STILL SUCKS. Besides, the kid goes fishing EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. It's like:
"Oh, la la la, look! A canoe up in the tree! Let's go look at it! I wonder what it means.... Let's go fishing!"
later..
"La la la, hey, look! It's Captain Bim! Someone stole your life's savings! I had better go fishing!" then "Oh no! Kane killed Dolla Bill! TO THE CANOES!!!!"
Honestly one of the most pointless, annoying, and generally tedious books I've ever read.
IT STILL SUCKS. Besides, the kid goes fishing EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. It's like:
"Oh, la la la, look! A canoe up in the tree! Let's go look at it! I wonder what it means.... Let's go fishing!"
later..
"La la la, hey, look! It's Captain Bim! Someone stole your life's savings! I had better go fishing!" then "Oh no! Kane killed Dolla Bill! TO THE CANOES!!!!"
Honestly one of the most pointless, annoying, and generally tedious books I've ever read.
July 24, 2018
Will Hobbs Can Write A Great Book; Canoe?
The blurbs and descriptions for this book certainly make it sound like it has everything you might want for a ripping adventure tale. But, and I don't mean to be a wiseguy, I've read lots of blurbs and descriptions for books that didn't deliver. Imagine my delight, then, to report that, at least for me, this book is better than expected across the board, and in every way that matters.
The hero, Young Mac, is resourceful, steadfast, observant, dependable and adventurous. He is everything you could hope for in a boy hero. His Mom and Dad are supportive, loving, reliable, competent and unflappable. Young Mac's Makah fisherman friend, Lighthouse George, is quiet, skilled, dignified, and wood and ocean crafty. And every one of the good guys has a sense of humor and an understated charm.
The tale's setting is romantic and realistic. From the lighthouse to the woods to the ocean coast you can smell and feel the salt spray and the spruce. This is one of the best located, one of the best placed, boy's own adventures I've ever read. Set in the 1870's it would put many adult historical novels to shame. There is a lot of background about the indigenous Makahs that is worked unobtrusively into the story, which gives the book a bit of cultural heft. There's also a lot of fishing.
The mystery adventure has ghost canoes, a shipwreck, a murder, treasure, a shadowy hidden figure, fog, foul weather, towering cliffs and pinnacles, howling storms, and a skeleton. The mystery is just the right amount of twisty. The action can be riveting and the fog bound lurking and exploring is suspenseful, (and damp). This is legitimate "Treasure Island" territory. And there's a lot of fishing.
So, O.K., am I hamming it up a bit? Sure. But this really did strike me as a crisply written, fast paced, nicely structured, and generously well imagined ripping adventure. The history of the Pacific Northwest, the dignity of the native people, the bonds of friendship, and the rich and colorful romance of the wilderness are all presented in clear unadorned prose, and with warm feeling. This isn't a by the numbers book and it isn't constructed along the lines of some tired formula. This had style and depth for a young adventure reader to really sink his or her teeth into. As promised, a ripping yarn.
The blurbs and descriptions for this book certainly make it sound like it has everything you might want for a ripping adventure tale. But, and I don't mean to be a wiseguy, I've read lots of blurbs and descriptions for books that didn't deliver. Imagine my delight, then, to report that, at least for me, this book is better than expected across the board, and in every way that matters.
The hero, Young Mac, is resourceful, steadfast, observant, dependable and adventurous. He is everything you could hope for in a boy hero. His Mom and Dad are supportive, loving, reliable, competent and unflappable. Young Mac's Makah fisherman friend, Lighthouse George, is quiet, skilled, dignified, and wood and ocean crafty. And every one of the good guys has a sense of humor and an understated charm.
The tale's setting is romantic and realistic. From the lighthouse to the woods to the ocean coast you can smell and feel the salt spray and the spruce. This is one of the best located, one of the best placed, boy's own adventures I've ever read. Set in the 1870's it would put many adult historical novels to shame. There is a lot of background about the indigenous Makahs that is worked unobtrusively into the story, which gives the book a bit of cultural heft. There's also a lot of fishing.
The mystery adventure has ghost canoes, a shipwreck, a murder, treasure, a shadowy hidden figure, fog, foul weather, towering cliffs and pinnacles, howling storms, and a skeleton. The mystery is just the right amount of twisty. The action can be riveting and the fog bound lurking and exploring is suspenseful, (and damp). This is legitimate "Treasure Island" territory. And there's a lot of fishing.
So, O.K., am I hamming it up a bit? Sure. But this really did strike me as a crisply written, fast paced, nicely structured, and generously well imagined ripping adventure. The history of the Pacific Northwest, the dignity of the native people, the bonds of friendship, and the rich and colorful romance of the wilderness are all presented in clear unadorned prose, and with warm feeling. This isn't a by the numbers book and it isn't constructed along the lines of some tired formula. This had style and depth for a young adventure reader to really sink his or her teeth into. As promised, a ripping yarn.
February 7, 2010
A 7th grade class that I work in is reading this book. Most of the students have never spent time on the western side of the Washington state and they are struggling to stay interested in the book. My class is mostly low-income and minority students who really have no connections to make with a white boy growing up with Makah indians in the Puget Sound. We are using this book to help learn about Washington State History.
Although the students don't really like the book, I thought the book was very interesting and had a lot of good things to learn. It is a little predictable (for me anyways), but still a good story.
It is worth a read for kids who are interested in Washington state and Native Americans, as well as adults who enjoy an easy kids book.
Although the students don't really like the book, I thought the book was very interesting and had a lot of good things to learn. It is a little predictable (for me anyways), but still a good story.
It is worth a read for kids who are interested in Washington state and Native Americans, as well as adults who enjoy an easy kids book.
September 26, 2018
After my experience of reading the novel "Ghost Canoe" I would give this book a solid 3 stars. It starts out pretty slow at first, and as you reach the end, it finally get's pretty good. It's a bout a young boy named Nathan MacAllister who's Father is the in charge of the lighthouse on an island in the Pacific. Later on in the story, a ship crashes into the rocks off in Cape Flattery, and Nathan and his new friend "Lighthouse" George hunt, fish, and explore looking for clues of the missing vessel. Little do they know it, there is a lost ancient treasure to be found, along with a murderer on the loose.
January 9, 2021
Ghost Canoe is children’s fiction done right: exciting plot, compelling setting, and well-rounded characters. Hobbs’s depiction of life in Neah Bay in the late nineteenth-century is rich with historical details, and the culture of the Makah Tribe is represented with historical rigor. An excellent read for adults and children alike.
October 10, 2013
The theme statement in the book Ghost Canoe is that if you don’t believe someone about something you should go find out and prove what you believe. That is exactly what Nathan McAllister did. The book Ghost Canoe takes place in Washington State in a place called Cape Flattery. It is a cape that is very rocky and is usually very stormy. It has an island just off the shore that is called Tatoosh Island that has a light house that Nathan and his dad run. The book is about a 14-year old boy named Nathan McAllister. A ship crashes just off the shore and Nathan is told that there are no survivors. Nathan does not believe that there are no survivors because there have been footprints on the beach and there have been sightings of a wild hairy man. With Nathans new friend, Lighthouse George who is part of the local Makah tribe, they paddle around to different parts of the island t search for clues on how and why the ship sunk. In that process they found a skeleton in a canoe that leads t many questions that get answered.
I thought this was a great book!! I have a hard time thinking about something bad about this book because there really isn’t anything. I really like how in different parts of the book there are parts that leave you wondering how did this happen and who did this, for example when the captain washed ashore with a knife stabbed in his heart. In the book Nathan is extremely curious and in real life I am like that to. If there is something I don’t know that I am interested in, I want to find out. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend and I would rate this book a 9/10.
February 25, 2016
There is a boy named Nathan and he lives in a lighthouse at sea. His mother is very ill and is not looking good. One day Nathan goes to the beach and finds a ship-wreaked boat. He reports it and finds out that no one finds a survivor from the boat that shipwrecked. But that does not explain why he saw footprints in the sand from the boat into the near by cave. Ever since he has found the boat he notices so many things in this town that he never saw before. Strange things start to happen to Nathan and the people/things around him. He started to wander if there really was a survivor and won't stop until he gets the proof that he is looking for. He starts to tell very few people about all the things he has encountered but still no one believes him. He is told not to explore but will not stop until he finds what he is looking for.
Overall I think that this is a great book ( if you are interested in mysteries) it is very detailed and a very nerve racking book. It's interesting and leaves you with suspense throughout the story.
Overall I think that this is a great book ( if you are interested in mysteries) it is very detailed and a very nerve racking book. It's interesting and leaves you with suspense throughout the story.
August 12, 2016
Another stellar story by Hobbs. Nathan MacAllister is the son of the lighthouse keeper on Tatoosh Island in Washington. He witnesses a shipwreck and, after hearing of footprints found on the beach and some thefts from the local trading post, refuses to believe there were no survivors. He spends time with his friend Lighthouse George, a Makah fisherman, and learns to hunt, fish, and whale. He also searches for clues to the missing Spanish gold supposedly hidden in the area. Is this what the mysterious "hairy man" is after? Will a ghostly canoe containing a skeleton unlock the key to this story of mystery, betrayal, and murder?
May 30, 2012
WORST BOOK EVER!!!!!! Actually, Kite Rider is worse... jst by a little. Ghost Canoe is a total waste of time, id rather be sleeping... but sadly it was a class book.... and i had to read it :( Schools always pick the worst books, its like their trying to bore us to death... oh, wait they are :)
January 15, 2013
One of the best books that I have read for this age group. Fast action, mysterious, spooky, and well-written. Not just for boys either.
October 17, 2017
Nathan MacAllister is the fourteen-year-old son a lighthouse keeper on Tatoosh Island, a small body of land the very northwestern tip of the continental United States. The year is 1874 when a ship breaks off the rocky side of the nearby Cape Flattery. There are no survivors, save for some unexplained footprints found on the shore. As Nathan explores the island, takes care of his sick mother, and goes on whale-hunting missions with the nearby native tribe, he finds himself racing against time to solve a mystery. With a treasure to find and a killer on the loose, he embarks on a journey he never expected to take. He paddles treacherous water, narrowly escapes death in a cave, and barely avoids the clutches of evil in novel’s climax.
Ghost Canoe is an interesting piece of historical fiction. Nathan is a good depiction of a youth’s desire for adventure and excitement. Many could identify with his desire to get to the bottom of a mystery and discover a treasure, even with many doubting him along the way. However, many young readers may find themselves bored in the slower parts of this novel. Some chapters seem to spend a significant amount of time dedicated to events that do not contribute to the plot, such as canoeing and whaling. While these events may appeal to those who read this as historical fiction, it may seem dull to those reading as a mystery novel. This book will entertain young readers with an interest in the lives of 19th century Americans.
Ghost Canoe is an interesting piece of historical fiction. Nathan is a good depiction of a youth’s desire for adventure and excitement. Many could identify with his desire to get to the bottom of a mystery and discover a treasure, even with many doubting him along the way. However, many young readers may find themselves bored in the slower parts of this novel. Some chapters seem to spend a significant amount of time dedicated to events that do not contribute to the plot, such as canoeing and whaling. While these events may appeal to those who read this as historical fiction, it may seem dull to those reading as a mystery novel. This book will entertain young readers with an interest in the lives of 19th century Americans.
May 7, 2018
This Edgar-winning mystery has a lot of pluses that could win over reluctant readers, especially boys.
In it, 14-year-old Nathan MacAllister has the dangerous job of helping his father manage a lighthouse off the Washington shore in the 1870s. He witnesses a shipwreck and becomes entangled in a mystery about the ship's murdered captain and possible survivors. Helping him is Lighthouse George, a man from the local Makah tribe. Nathan is included in a whaling expedition with the tribe and a celebration with their relatives, the Nitinats. The whaling expedition may be too gruesome for some readers, but overall, the description of the tribes' daily lives and activities in that era makes for fascinating reading.
One slight flaw: I questioned why Nathan did not find a friend his own age from the Makah tribe. As the book is written, Nathan's only friend, Lightning George, is a grown man with a wife and family. Even if Lightning George was the only person in the tribe to speak English, I would have thought Nathan would have tried to learn the Makah language or found another way to communicate with teens his own age.
Still, Ghost Canoe is a riveting adventure story, highly recommended.
In it, 14-year-old Nathan MacAllister has the dangerous job of helping his father manage a lighthouse off the Washington shore in the 1870s. He witnesses a shipwreck and becomes entangled in a mystery about the ship's murdered captain and possible survivors. Helping him is Lighthouse George, a man from the local Makah tribe. Nathan is included in a whaling expedition with the tribe and a celebration with their relatives, the Nitinats. The whaling expedition may be too gruesome for some readers, but overall, the description of the tribes' daily lives and activities in that era makes for fascinating reading.
One slight flaw: I questioned why Nathan did not find a friend his own age from the Makah tribe. As the book is written, Nathan's only friend, Lightning George, is a grown man with a wife and family. Even if Lightning George was the only person in the tribe to speak English, I would have thought Nathan would have tried to learn the Makah language or found another way to communicate with teens his own age.
Still, Ghost Canoe is a riveting adventure story, highly recommended.
May 21, 2019
GHOST CANOE
The book called “ghost canoe”by will hobbs and the book was about this 14 year old kid called Nathan and his family and his friend lighthouse george went to search if there was any survivor from the accident.
The accident was in Neahs Bay were they were gonna search the survivors and when they got there people were called the Mawhacks, that’s when they found Dolla Bill and he says that there’s this guy called kane who was searching for treasure and he also was a murder.
After, many people gather to kill a whale and the whale was capture, Dolla,George, and Nathan was on the boat when the whale made a move and everyone jumped out Nathan saw that george was counsios and could not get up.
That’s when Nathan and Dolla saw kane searching the treasure and Nathan and dolla went to stop kane that’s when nathan found a boat. But it was not the same from the other boats and used it to get to kane and when they got there they saw kane tacking gold and kane tripped while running and got hit by a rock.
Then nathan used it to share with the people in the island.
The book called “ghost canoe”by will hobbs and the book was about this 14 year old kid called Nathan and his family and his friend lighthouse george went to search if there was any survivor from the accident.
The accident was in Neahs Bay were they were gonna search the survivors and when they got there people were called the Mawhacks, that’s when they found Dolla Bill and he says that there’s this guy called kane who was searching for treasure and he also was a murder.
After, many people gather to kill a whale and the whale was capture, Dolla,George, and Nathan was on the boat when the whale made a move and everyone jumped out Nathan saw that george was counsios and could not get up.
That’s when Nathan and Dolla saw kane searching the treasure and Nathan and dolla went to stop kane that’s when nathan found a boat. But it was not the same from the other boats and used it to get to kane and when they got there they saw kane tacking gold and kane tripped while running and got hit by a rock.
Then nathan used it to share with the people in the island.
January 22, 2022
One of the few (maybe only) books I've ever read set in Neah Bay among the Makah of the farthest most tip of Northwest Washington. Yes, this is a mystery, but unlike most plot-driven mysteries the star of this story is the setting of rain and storm and huge rocks jutting out of the Pacific, and the Makah making a good living from what the ocean and forest provided. A definite must-have for libraries in WA, but apart from the climactic ending, the plot takes a back seat to the descriptions of fishing, potlatch, carving and paddling.
September 4, 2018
The author has been recommended to me but I've never read any of his books. I needed some light reading for the holiday weekend so I chose this one.
This is really good. I really like the respect displayed by the author for the Native Americans. I love how delicately he handled the relations between the natives and the colonizers. Everyone is human! Few, if any, stereotypes.
I don't think we really needed the treasure story but it did add some tension. I want to read more by this author.
This is really good. I really like the respect displayed by the author for the Native Americans. I love how delicately he handled the relations between the natives and the colonizers. Everyone is human! Few, if any, stereotypes.
I don't think we really needed the treasure story but it did add some tension. I want to read more by this author.
August 17, 2023
Was forced to read this in middle school. Hated it, but the last few chapters made me excited I guess. It’s been almost 9 since I read it and I still remember it so it was good enough to do that. Teacher really enjoyed it though. Had us watch “the wilderness family after reading it. I still don’t get the connection tho?
Anyways way better than reading Romeo and Juliet (something different and not overdone/over hyped.) Something that new and not spoiled. Was a little surprising in the end.
Anyways way better than reading Romeo and Juliet (something different and not overdone/over hyped.) Something that new and not spoiled. Was a little surprising in the end.
July 25, 2017
I truly enjoyed Ghost Canoe and am not going to spoil it for anyone. Please see Kirkus Reviews at:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
I will give this many stars ************************************
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
I will give this many stars ************************************
September 18, 2017
at the start of this book, I thought I chose a bad book. Nathan was doing nothing but asking silly questions and going fishing. But when I got halfway through, I really liked it much more. The story speeds up and flows easier.
If he worked a bit harder on this one, I would have put 5 stars.
If he worked a bit harder on this one, I would have put 5 stars.
March 31, 2020
#ureadshelfproject2020. What a great adventure story. I will definitely suggest this to boys looking for a historical adventure. Loved the setting and the characters. A but if a history lesson as well.
October 18, 2018
This book is a GREAT read!
December 17, 2019
Great book. It really kept me wanting to know what would happen next.
January 16, 2020
The book was exciting with many thrillers and it wanted me to ask the author to create a second book
January 16, 2020
it was good and kept me wanting to know what would happen next
December 27, 2020
A good mystery
November 14, 2021
I could not tolerate the graphic descriptions of whale and seal hunting. The mystery was interesting, but not enough to make me listen to another prolonged narrative of killing.
October 20, 2022
Enjoyable quick read from an author I discovered recently. Looking forward to reading more of his books!
November 7, 2022
Cape Flattery, Neah Bay story
December 2, 2022
It starts a little slow, but once it gets going, it is action-packed. I enjoyed the characters and learning about a setting and time period I was unfamiliar with.
February 5, 2025
Interesting read aloud with my students.
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April 28, 20255 hour audio book - enjoyed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews