Michael Morpurgo

Stories for everyone


Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

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Age: 10+

Published: June 2007

ISBN: 9780007230587

Format: Paperback

When orphaned Arthur Hobhouse is shipped to Australia after World War II he loses his sister, his country and everything he knows. The coming years will test him to his limits, as he endures mistreatment, neglect and forced labour in the Australian outback. But Arthur is also saved, again and again, by his love of the sea. And when he meets a nurse whose father owns a boat-building business, all the pieces of his broken life come together.

Now, at the end of his life, Arthur has built a special boat for his daughter Allie, whose love of the sea is as strong and as vital as her father’s. Now Allie has a boat that will take her to England solo, across the world’s roughest seas, in search of her father’s long-lost sister. Will the threads of Arthur’s life finally come together?

Awards:

  • Winner Rotherham Children’s Book Award
  • Winner Independent Bookseller’s Prize
  • Shortlist Red House Children’s Book Award
  • Shortlist Stockport Schools’ Book Award
  • Shortlist Bay Book Award
  • Shortlist Leeds Book Awards (11-14 years)
  • Winner Lincolnshire Young People’s Book Award (9-11 years)
  • Nominated Carnegie Medal
  • Shortlist Lancashire Book of the Year Award
  • Winner Brilliant Book Award (Nottingham)
  • Winner Kernow Youth Book Award
  • Shortlisted Red Book Award
  • Shortlisted Coventry Inspiration Awards

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Reviews

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Nabeel says:

This is probably one of Michaels Best books ever!
I downloaded this on my kindle and the book was recommend by my friend I must say I was truly not disapointed get this book!!!!!

anna_banana says:

This book is amazing, I read it in two days. It is a thought-provoking book that grabs your attention. Once you read the first page, you can’t stop….....

Saffron Brown says:

Amazing. My friend recommended it to me and once i started reading, i couldnt stop!!! Simpley amazing.

Gabrielle care says:

My teacher is reading this to us and when the bell gose and she puts the book down we all say just a little bit more I love this book

Rachel says:

Fantastic! I loved it all the way through, it was very gripping and it’s almost impossible to stop reading it! Every last word is perfect, it is a masterpiece!!!

niamhxxx says:

Mr Morpurgo

I think you are a fantastic writer I love every single book you write my favourite book would have to be Alone on a wide wide sea I loved the second part but I loved the first part better Private Peaceful was the first book I ever read and from then on I loved every one
                               
                            Niamh Armstrong
I would give it 10 out of 10

niamhxxx says:

I have no words to describe it, it was that good

mandy says:

I have nearly finished reading the story and I might read it again, I am actually enjoying the book I have borrowed it from my school library and in the first part I found it very sad and same with the second part but the second part was very sad when Arthur dies.
I would recommend this story to any one. It has taken me a while to read it because every night/day I have other commitments.

niamh says:

One of the best books I’ve ever read a long but briallant book of an excelent adventure

Incridis says:

I bought this book around five to six years ago at a book fair without knowing anything about it at all for a good price. To this day, to me it’s one of those books you can reread and reread and reread till the pages turn yellow and book jacket starts to get wrinkly at the edges. This book is just one of those books you’d recommend to anyone to read without a second thought.

mm fan no 1 says:

Brilliant twist at the end! Who knew?

Elle says:

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea is one of the best books I have ever read. I found it incredibly moving and I couldn't put the book down! I also liked how the book had a second part following the adventure of his daughter. Overall there was nothing I didn't like about this book and I would recommend it!

bookworm2000 says:

I loved the close friendship between Arthur and Marty and how they overcame Piggy Bacon and found Aunty Mags and the animals. The best Michael Morpurgo I have read so far! And Allie's story was great but it was sad that her dad died before she went on her boating trip. I was truly in love eith this book and I am not going to give it away! Thanks, Michael Morpurgo! 10/10!

Chloburn says:

I read this book on holiday last year and when I went back to my friend's house this year, I found it on the shelf. With the same mixture of joy and the knowledge that I was going to embark on the adventure again, I picked up this amazing book. It is s must!

Sarah says:

It was hard to choose from so many, but this had to be one of my favourites. Its the whole book that grabs you from start to finish. I couldnt put this book down once i started to read it. This book was the first MM book i owned and once i had read this i just fell in love with all MM books. A truly amazing read, so thankyou very much to Michael for creating such fantastic stories.

jordan says:

This book was absolutely incredible as it has the most amazing plot ever. The story is so easy to relate to for me as I am an immigrant who lives in Australia. The characters were incredible and I loved the whole story. It easily grabbed my attention and I could not put it down. Please read this if you want a really good must-read book.

Sophaloaf says:

I've read this book so many times I could probably recite it word for word if I was asked to. I first read it when I was six or seven and it took me a couple of weeks to read but by the time I turned ten I could read it in under half an hour. When you pick up a Morpurgo book and start reading, you get instantly hooked and just can't put it down. This is a truly fantastic book and Michael Morpurgo is one of the best children's laureates around. Keep Writing! 10/10