Into the Blizzard

October 1, 2019
During a severe blizzard in 1978, Gloucester, Massachusetts, mariner Frank Quirk II took his 49-foot pilot boat out into the teeth of the storm in an attempt to aid Coast Guard vessels in peril. Just as had been the case with the three Coast Guard boats, Quirk lost his radar almost as soon as the Can Do passed the shelter of the breakwater. On the open ocean, facing waves that topped 30 feet, wind gusts slamming his boat at nearly 100 miles per hour, and driving thick, swirling snow, Quirk had few clues to his location, and jagged ledges, invisible in the maelstrom, loomed perilously close. With failing radios, he had occasional contact with those on shore, providing an intermittent narrative of impending disaster. Before the night ended, the Can Do and her crew of five were lost at sea. This young readers' adaptation of Ten Hours Until Dawn (2005) reads like a thriller, suspenseful and ultimately tragic, effectively capturing the desperate situations of the three Coast Guard boats that were dispatched to aid a supposedly sinking tanker (it wasn't) and that of the spirited crew of the Can Do. The tale concludes with an epilogue that briefly chronicles the lives since 1978 of some of those involved, even delivering one final gut punch. Characters depicted in the archival black-and-white photos are all white. Riveting. (Nonfiction. 11-16)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 5-8-Adapted for young readers from Ten Hours Until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do, the most recent entry in the "True Rescue" series focuses on the ill-fated Can Do. In February 1978, a freak blizzard surprised the East Coast, pounding coastal Massachusetts and the Gloucester Harbor. A distress call from Global Hope, an oil tanker, spurred the Coast Guard and a local pilot ship, the Can Do, into braving the storm. As the storm progressed, the Can Do and Coast Guard vessels found themselves in jeopardy. Quotes from eyewitnesses involved with the rescue attempts, friends, and transcripts of radio transmissions tell the story of what was ultimately a deadly rescue mission. The bravery of Frank Quirk, the captain of the Can Do, along with that of crew member Charlie Bucko, takes center stage through stories from friends and families; other members of the doomed ship and the Coast Guard vessels are not as fleshed out. Pacing in the adaptation drags and gets caught up in some lengthy side stories of people and events tangentially involved, which may not hold the interest of reluctant readers. A small collection of photographs and a glossary are included. VERDICT Purchase where Tougias's other books are popular or where other maritime adventure stories are in demand.-Jennifer Knight, North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles, WA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
Grades 6-8 This exciting and nerve-wracking true story adapts the author's adult title Ten Hours until Dawn: The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do (2005) for young readers. It's the inspiring story of courageous pilot boat captain Frank Quirk, his crew, and other men who endured harrowing attempted rescues at sea during the blizzard of 1978. Two coast guard patrol boats responding to a distress call from an oil tanker off the Massachusetts coast find themselves in trouble due to the treacherous weather. While trying to assist the patrol vessels, Captain Frank and his crew aboard the Can Do find that they, too, are in mortal danger after their boat's radar, lights, and engines fail. Tougias bases his re-creation of the Can Do crew's thoughts and actions on input from fellow seaman and existing tape recordings of actual radio communications. Black-and-white photographs, placed mid book, complement the narrative. Readers who love disaster tales?and want to feel like they're experiencing them firsthand?will find this a compelling, well-sourced read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)