Ghost Canoe

by Will Hobbs and Boyd Gaines

Book Overview

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 "hairy man" convince Nathan that someone is hiding in the remote sea caves along the coast. With his new friend, Lighthouse George,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688141935
• ISBN13: 9780688141936
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Ghost Canoe

Ghost Canoe is an awesome adventure and mystery rolled in to one story. The unique setting and the suspense of the story keep you very anxious to read on. You will never want to put it down! I liked the way the author included the Makah Indian Tribe in it. I also enjoyed the way Lighthouse George talked in the Makah Indian language. "Hyas clutus, Tenas Mac, it is very bad." That was my favorite quote in the book because that is what made Nathan want to go into the woods to look for clues. Also that made Nathan find the canoe in the woods, which was my favorite part. When you want a good book to read, check out Ghost Canoe by Will Hobbs!

A Great Book

This book is great its mysterious and interesting at the same time. This book interest many people in the area. All the library copies and school copies, even copies that are for sale are no available.

Ghost Canoe is a grand Northwest adventure

Well read by Boyd Gaines with eerie sound effects, this is an exciting tale of a boy's coming-of-age among a community of First People. With his lighthouse-keeper father & loving mother he lives a year on the edge of America where the Makah Nation, a vital seafaring people, ply their fantastic canoes, fishing & whale hunting. Here too, white traders & treasure hunters bring in their foreign ways. Marvelous descriptions of this wild area, thrilling canoe trips, fascinating insights into customs & bravery...

From a parent's point of view, Will Hobbs has another hit

First off, this review will be somewhat biased as Mr. Hobbs was a teacher of mine three years in a row. If the love of reading is a fire, Mr Hobbs is the spark. He kindled the desire to read in countless children during his years as a teacher, partly because he knew us so well, and that is what makes him such a terrific author in his current work- he knows what will get kids to read and keep them reading. My children both read his books, and I read most everything that they read, just to stay in touch with what they are doing. I actually enjoy reading Mr. Hobbs' books as much as they do, the characters are real, the experiences are fresh, and the stories are enough to make me dream of my own youth. I recently moved to the Seattle area, and have explored the area in which Ghost Canoe is set. Mr. Hobbs has done a marvelous job of capturing the mood and mystery of this beautiful corner of our world. His portrayl of the Macaw tribe is true to life (as it was) and helps shed some light on the recent events in their tribe. That alone makes this book a great read for just about any preteen.

If you like to read to your children, you'll love this book.

A chapter a night, that's all it takes. With the punch of London's "White Fang" or Gary Paulsen's "Winterdance", Hobbs' "Ghost Canoe" has captured the imaginations of my seven and nine year-old children. The historical and cultural lessons are a bonus for the kids (and me) in this fast-paced action adventure. Indians, war canoes, whales, robbers, shipwrecks, lighthouses and more, it's all stuff kids and their Dad's will love. Having grown up in the Northwest and being familiar with many of the locations, this book was especially fun for me.