Monday, May 7, 2012

The Boy Who Was Afraid by Armstrong Perry

Want something a little different to read?  This beautiful story tells the story of Mafatu, an islander boy who lost his mother to the sea when he was very young. Mafatu has an intense fear of the sea and because of this his father is ashamed of him and the village children ridicule him.  Mafatu decides to try and overcome this fear and sense of shame so he sets off in a canoe out into the open sea. His only companions are his dog Kivi and a tame albatross. Mafatu's courage grows as he learns to survive on an uninhabited island. However, this island is visited occasionally by the fierce eaters-of-men who come in their big war canoes. How will he cope with this? 

This is novel is a real classic about coming of age and confronting one's fears. It is also a salute to the navigational prowess of the Polynesian people. 

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