*Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. Audiobook read by Jim Weiss, Greathall Productions, 2009.
Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12
Maturity Level: Levels 3-5 (ages 8-14)
Nathaniel Bowditch is blessed with a remarkably mathematical mind, but his dreams of attending Harvard are dashed when he is indentured at a young age. Instead of being “becalmed” like a ship without a wind to carry the sails, Nat passionately pursues his own education by filling notebooks with information on shipbuilding, navigation, mathematics, astronomy, and many other topics. He finds men who know their trade well and are willing to explain to him everything they know. He reads every book he can get his hands on and even teaches himself Latin in order to read Newton’s Principia. After his indenture ends, he goes to sea and finds all kinds of difficult characters and dangers to deal with, and applies his mathematical genius to creating a better, more reliable nautical almanac that could save the lives of sailors. These endeavors are woven through the historical context between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and told with marvelous dialogue, humor, plenty of adventure, and even a little romance. While God is not directly honored, there is only a short step to recognizing his providence in Nat Bowditch’s life and the consistent order that God placed in the universe that would make a nautical almanac dependable.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is excellent reading, worthy of its Newbery award and placement on many reading lists, but the audiobook version by Jim Weiss truly brings it to life. One important advantage of listening is that the significant details and explanations are not skimmed over so that the story makes more sense and the experience is richer. Jim Weiss dramatizes the unique voices of the characters, making a wonderful listening experience whether at home or in the car. See our interview with Mr. Weiss here.
Highly recommended, worth experiencing over and over again.
Cautions: none
Overall Value: 5 out of 5
- Moral/worldview value: 5
- Artistic value: 5
Categories: Historical Fiction, Middle Grades, Audiobooks, Starred Review, Classics, Award Winners, Read-Alouds, Modern History
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I heartily concur with Megan’s recommendation of both the book and the recording. My children, 8 and 10, at the time enjoyed listening to this book in the car. I appreciate the lesson that Bowditch did not give up and become embittered by setbacks; instead, he patiently and diligently found ways to “bloom where he was planted.”