A Small Boat at the Bottom of the Sea

The perfect summer-reading adventure for boys, this contemporary novel features twelve-year-old Donovan, asked by his dad to spend the summer in Puget Sound with an aunt and uncle he barely knows. Aunt Hattie is ill with cancer, and she and Uncle Bix need some support. The trouble is, only Donovan can provide it, because his dad and Uncle Bix - who was recently released from jail for robbery - haven't spoken for years. Naturally, Donovan is curious about his uncle's past, and the summer he spends in the Sound turns out to be one he'll never forget. Whether he's helping his uncle reclaim a sunken boat, caring for and learning from his aunt, or wondering about his uncle's secret meetings with ex-convict friends, Donovan discovers there are some things children can do that grown-ups can't or won't - including asking difficult questions. His questions about his uncle help him realize the courage it takes to attain redemption, and the power of strong relationships to help people look beyond the bad choices others make and see the good inside them.