I picked up The Young Man and the Sea as a possible choice for a survival unit at school. I had not heard of the author before (who, as it turns out, wrote Freak the Mighty) and wasn’t sure what the connection might be between this and The Old Man and the Sea. I’d have to re-read Hemingway to make any conclusions, but I did notice that the writing style had its similarities. I remember reading that people can learn to fish from reading Hemingway, and after finishing this I feel as though I could give fixing a boat or harpooning for tuna a pretty good shot. I was pleasantly surprised at how gripping the plot turned out to be, and enjoyed the book very much. I think it’s a great potential to read aloud, or as part of a surival series. The narrator’s voice is a young boy who has less than perfect English. I always wonder when I read writing like that - does it matter one way or the other to give students books with incorrect grammar? Is it worth a lesson or conversation to even point it out? My first reaction is that yes, kids would like reading the voice of another kid, and could appreciate a dialect/slang style different than their own. Further, what a great writing lesson on the voice of the narrator! But I’m open to other commentary on the subject.
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