Miracle: The True Story of the Wreck of the Sea Venture - Hardcover

Karwoski, Gail

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1581960158 ISBN 13: 9781581960150

Publisher: Darby Creek Pub, 2004

Synopsis

In the summer of 1609 a fleet of nine ships left England bound for the Jamestown Colony. Days before landfall, the fleet was hit by a hurricane. Four nights later, the flagship, Sea Venture, ran aground on the reefs on Bermuda's northern coast. Miraculously everyone survived. This is their story.Describes how the crew of the Sea Venture survived a five-day hurricane at sea and being shipwrecked on the "haunted" Bermuda Islands.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-7 - This is an engaging account of the 17th-century British sailing ship Sea Venture, flagship of nine vessels bound for the colony of Jamestown. A powerful hurricane forced it to break from the fleet; battle the humongous waves, wind, and drenching rain; and eventually run aground on the shores of the Bermuda islands. All 150 passengers and crew spent the next 10 months creating a temporary home on this "untouched" land, having found an abundance of raw materials to erect homes, hunt, cook, store food, and eventually build two smaller ships to continue on to Virginia. Karwoski offers a wealth of historical information through a well-researched narrative detailing highlights of the key players: Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, and Captain Christopher Newport. Additional significant material is provided in well-placed boxes, explaining certain concepts to give readers a better understanding of the three leaders' lives, the available technology of the day that allowed the settlers to create a sheltered and abundant life, and the geographic and natural circumstances that affected their livelihood. The book concludes with a description of present-day Bermuda and the changes in its natural environment, some good and some unfortunate, as a result of overpopulation. Blue/gray-toned illustrations include drawings and photos of recovered artifacts. An extensive bibliography concludes this attractive, well-designed title. - Rita Soltan, Oakland University, Rochester, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4-6. Karwoski relates a classic, little known entry in the "every cloud hath its silver lining" department: the flagship of a small fleet carrying colonists and supplies to the new Jamestown Colony in 1609, the Sea Venture is separated in a violent storm, and comes close to sinking before fetching up on Bermuda--islands then widely regarded as haunted. Everyone aboard saved (even the ship's dog), Bermuda turns out to be an island paradise, and after a restorative 10 months, the expedition continues on to Jamestown, arriving at the nick of time to save it from collapse after a devastating year of famine and disease. The author suggests (as others have) that the incident may have inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest, and then goes on to trace Bermuda's later history to the present day. Illustrated with maps, photos, and wood engraving-like, new art, all printed in blue, this tale of shipwreck, discovery, and radical reversals of fortune will leave young readers marveling--as well as receptive to the meaty closing resource list. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Darby Creek Pub
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1581960158
• ISBN 13: 9781581960150
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: MacDonald John