Hunting the Dragon

June 1, 2010
Gr 8 Up-Billy Crawford, 18, is working his way around the world pursuing his passion for surfing. In Fiji, he loses his job shepherding around surfing-camp guests as a result of his own irresponsibility. Running low on funds, he signs aboard a pirate tuna clipper, where he is shocked to discover that dolphins are being caught and drowned in the nets used to harvest the tuna. When he jumps in to help a trapped dolphin escape, the evil captain abandons him in the middle of the ocean. With the help of the dolphin he saved, Billy makes it to land, then joins forces with Benny, a wildlife activist who hopes to ram and sink the "Lucky Dragon". He also starts a romance with Benny's beautiful young assistant. In an action-packed climax, Billy and Benny disable the tuna clipper and capture the captain. While the novel has clear echoes of Melville's "Billy Budd", readers need not recognize the literary allusions to appreciate the story. The book should have some appeal to naturalists and animal-rights advocates, even if Billy's relationship with the dolphin strains credibility."Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.