Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Reviewed by JenniferRatings
Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content
LANGUAGE
VIOLENCE
SEXUAL CONTENT
ADULT THEMES
1941 Newbery Medal Winner
Ratings Explanation
Violence: Mafatu kills a shark, a pig and an octopus.
Adult Themes: Mafatu’s mother dies when he is very small. His father does not approve of him because he is a timid child and not brave like the other boys his age.
Synopsis
Somewhere in Polynesia is the island of Hikueru, where Mafatu lives with his father. While a young boy, Mafatu nearly drowned at sea and has been terrified of the ocean ever since. Now at 10 years of age, the other boys tease and taunt him because he won’t go out fishing with them. Mafatu’s father is the chief, and in a society in which bravery is prized, Mafatu can tell that his father is ashamed of his fear. The time has come for Mafatu to face his enemy, the sea. He ventures out in his boat knowing that he will either come back fearless, or he will not come back at all.
When my 10-year-old son finished this book he announced, “I just finished Call It Courage and on a scale from 1 to 10, it is a 10!” With that kind of recommendation I thought I better read it too! We ended up reading it aloud with our family, which I highly recommend. The narration and descriptions lend themselves naturally to a great read-aloud book. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and I think the message is important. Everyone has a fear to face, but with ingenuity and courage, we can conquer what most frightens us.
©2009 The Literate Mother