Sea Legs

This is an engaging story, full of humor, adventure, and suspense that kept my two third-graders hungering for more. Although we appreciated the swagger of the narrative, delivered by one of the young protagonists, we found the dumbed-down "kidspeak"--e.g., "Me and Clive went..."-- intrusive, annoying, and unnecessary to getting the swagger across. Given the author's exquisite narrative gift, as manifested in *Canned,* for example, he could probably have attained the desired tone here with no sacrifice to the storyline or Eric's character.

I read this book aloud to my class of 5th and 6th graders. Half the sessions that I read I had to stop because I was laughing so hard that tears streamed down my cheeks. These interruptions greatly irritated the students, who loved the story. It is witty, compelling, and sarcastically hilarious. I will be reading this to classrooms for many years to come.

I usually hate to read books but this book inspired me to read. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. It had a lot of humour. The kind of humour that boys like. This story makes me wish that my Dad worked on a cruise ship so I could come along.

This book is a example of superb writing. With witty charcters and a twisting plot line this book will keep you at the edge of your seat for hours on end. This book is a great example of one that you can never put down. I would totaly recomend this book to anyone who loves to read.

Sea journeys and pirates are the "it" topics of children's literature this year, but Shearer manages to avoid pitfalls by placing his narrative in the hands of a boy named Eric, accompanied by his perpetually dirty twin brother Clive. The two brothers stowaway on a cruise liner during the summer holidays in order to be closer to their father, who serves as a ship steward. Laying low is not an option for Eric and Clive, and the story really starts to hum when they become more devious in their attempts to elude exposure. The pirate episode occurs at the end of the book, but is a satisfying tie-up of threads, rather than the core of the plot. Instead, it is Eric and Clive who hog the spotlight - especially Clive. As Eric would have us believe, Clive is eternally hungry, has a face like a cowpat, and never washes his (under)pants. Together they ruthlessly take advantage of, and expose, the adult world around them while Eric pauses now and again to reflect philosophically on their situation: "Something inside us had changed...I guess that's what happens to you when you make a journey - a real journey, that is. A journey both inside and out." Shearer does a brilliant job capturing a boy's perspective (for the twins the pyramids are "hot" and uncomfortable), and one can forgive him the fairytale clichés of the absent mother, the kind little old lady with incredible wealth, and the observation that children can get away with anything because adults underestimate them. The book deserves a sharper title and cover, tighter editing on minor repetitions, and a PR campaign that highlights its quirky voice. It's a great summer read with a healthy dose of slapstick. Perfect for boys and girls who crave an escape from "books that are good for them".