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The Wanderer: Summary and book reviews of The Wanderer by Sharon Creech, plus links to an excerpt from The Wanderer and a biography of Sharon Creech.

The Wanderer

The Wanderer
by Sharon Creech
Hardcover: Apr 2000,
288 pages.
Paperback: Apr 2002,
320 pages.

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BOOK SUMMARY

The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in.

Thirteen-year-old Sophie is the only girl amongst the surly crew of The Wanderer made up of her three uncles and two cousins. They sail across the Atlantic toward England, the land of Bompie, her grandfather. The sea calls to Sophie--promising adventure and the chance to explore and discover. But the personal journey she takes brings her deeper intoa forgotten past than she ever knew she could travel to.

Sophie's thirteen-year-old cousin Cody isn't even sure why his father brought him along on this voyage. Everyone, including his dad, thinks he's nothing but a knuckleheaded doofus. But behind all the goofing off, he wonders if he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father.

Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, the amazing experiences of these six wanderers and their perilous journey unfold. Stories of the past and the daily challenges to survice at sea swirl together as The Wanderer sails toward its destination, and its passengers search for their places in the world.

Newbery Award winner Sharon Creech's newest novel is an adventure-filled story of a courageous girl's journey across the ocean and into the memories of her tragic past. Sophie's struggle to reclaim who she is inspires similar exploration from those around her-- as the crew discovers the joys and trials of belonging to a family.

Media Reviews

  The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Sophie is a quietly luminous heroine, and readers will rejoice in her voyage.

  Publisher's Weekly
Like Creech's Walk Two Moons and Chasing Redbird, this intimate novel poetically connects journey with self-discovery.... Creech once again captures the ebb and flow of a vulnerable teen's emotional life, in this enticing blend of adventure and reflection.

  Kirkus Reviews
Creech again crafts a profound tale of simultaneous inner and outer journeys.... [The Wanderer] is a multilayered tale, combining bracing, open-air adventure with personal growth, in its protagonist and in much of the strong supporting cast as well.

  Publisher's Weekly
Like Creech's Walk Two Moons and Chasing Redbird, this intimate novel poetically connects journey with self-discovery.... Creech once again captures the ebb and flow of a vulnerable teen's emotional life, in this enticing blend of adventure and reflection.

  School Library Journal
[The Wanderer] is a beautifully written and imaginatively constructed novel that speaks to the power of survival and the delicacy of grief.

  School Library Journal
[The Wanderer] is a beautifully written and imaginatively constructed novel that speaks to the power of survival and the delicacy of grief.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated 1 of 5 of 5 by mwz
Boring book
This book was very slow moving and a very boring book. There was no climax and the characters were hard to relate to. I am in 8th grade and it barely held my attention. I would not recomend this book to anyone. I don't care if it has won an award,...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by michael
The wanderer by sharon ceech
What does Sophie's mother do when Sophie calls? (from Section III - The Island)

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Caleigh Pietlicki
The Wanderer
I think the wanderer is a great book. I loved it so so much, and hope any one who is out there reading this will love this book too. This book about The Wanderer is an inspirational and imaginative book for all ages. I am not a expert at writing...   Read More

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Kobe
the Wander
Kind of boring, but I love it!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Beauty Tombler
Very Good
This is a very fun, good, interesting book for kids, I got this book off the shelf to read with my little sister and she enjoyed it a lot! Easy to understand and thrilling!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by :))Sabrina
The Wanderer Review
I loved this book! My class and I read Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, and I thought it was a great book! I read The Wanderer for a book report I was doing, and absolutely loved her writing style for the book. It was intimate and made me want to...   Read More

...78 More Reader Reviews

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