Oliver's Surprise

Longing to feel closer to his favorite grandfather, Oliver skips school on a sparkling September afternoon and hides out on a tired schooner. When he wakes up on the ways of his grandfather's boatyard and realizes he's been transported back to 1938, he must decide what to do before the dangerous hurricane he'd been studying in school hits. While the main character is a 12-year-old boy, Oliver's story, and the story of a powerful weather event that still reverberates along the east coast, is more than appropriate for an adult audience. Written by an Olympic medalist on the 2004 USA sailing team, this charming story includes eight original illustrations, a glossary of nautical terms, and a short history of the Great Hurricane of 1938 that devastated the Eastern Seaboard. September 2008 marks the 70th anniversary of the storm.