Into the killing seas / by Michael P. Spradlin.

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Title:

Into the killing seas / by Michael P. Spradlin.

Author:

Spradlin, Michael P.

ISBN:

9780545726023

Physical Description:

185 pages ; 20 cm

Abstract:

In 1945 twelve-year-old Patrick and his younger brother Teddy stowaway on the U.S.S. Indianapolis in a desparate attempt to get back to the Philippines where they last saw their parents, just before the Japanese invasion--but when the ship is sunk they find themselves clinging to a piece of debris without food or water, and with hungry sharks circling below.

Corporate Subject:

Indianapolis (Cruiser) -- History -- Juvenile fiction.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Pacific Area -- History -- Juvenile fiction.

Survival at sea -- Juvenile fiction.

Brothers -- Juvenile fiction.

War stories -- Juvenile fiction.

Survival -- Juvenile fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Juvenile Fiction Book Hardback	120791002626401	J SPR	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Juvenile Fiction Book Hardback	120791002626848	J SPR	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

When the ship goes down, the sharks come out....Stranded in the war torn Pacific, Patrick and his younger brother Teddy are finally homeward-bound. They've stowed away on one of the US Navy's finest ships, and now they just need to stay hidden. But Japanese torpedoes rip their dream apart.And the sinking ship isn't the worst of it. Patrick and Teddy can handle hunger and dehydration as they float in the water and wait to be rescued. If they're smart, they can even deal with the madness that seems to plague their fellow survivors. No, the real danger circles beneath the surface. And it has teeth....Based on the true events of the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis, author Michael P. Spradlin tells a harrowing story of World War II.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-7-Spradlin's latest foray into the fictional past revolves around two brothers who board the U.S.S. Indianapolis having already led more dramatic lives than many readers will have ever known. Searching for parents that may or may not be alive, Patrick, the elder of the two brothers, must fight to keep the pair alive with help from the wisdom and guidance of Benny, a tough Marine with a gentle side. The events turn from bad to worse to worst as sharks and Marines fight for survival in the Pacific Ocean. Spradlin's story is paced extremely well. The characters will hook readers, the plot will grip them, and the factual pieces will create a desire to learn more about the true events behind this fictionalized tale. The shark behavior is, at times, a bit too extreme to be plausible. Still, the story is enjoyable and reveals a tender theme about the power of the human spirit. Patrick finds strength and courage from unusual sources and manages the impossible in order to save his brother and himself. VERDICT A marvelous fit in a social studies class, this novel would work well as a companion text to a World War II unit and will engage and connect students to the past.-Chad Lane, Easton Elementary, Wye Mills, MD © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

This survival tale highlights one of the worst sea disasters of World War II: the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945. It's recounted by Patrick, a 12-year-old caring for his younger brother, mute ever since the two were evacuated without their parents from Manila in 1941. Desperate to find their parents, the siblings have stowed away on the Indy with the help of Benny, a tough-talking Marine with a heart of gold. When Benny shares his opinions and philosophies, his experiences and prejudices are on the surface. He has choice words for both Japanese troops and the U.S. Navy. But in the end, he is never too harsh a judge and instills in Patrick the Marine code: never leave a man behind. Benny will live and die fulfilling this promise to his charges. Descriptions of the explosions onboard are graphic; men are maimed and killed. Benny gets the brothers off the ship, where new trials begin. They float at sea for days on a soggy pallet; heatstroke, dehydration, and delirium set in; sharks circle. The carnage is gruesome. Given Benny's essential kindness, it's unfortunate that at one point, while prodding the boys, he tells them they are swimming like "pansies." Extensive backmatter rounds out the incredible history. Readers ready for a strong dose of survival and war action will find this well-researched episode entirely gripping. (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Using the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the worst disaster at sea in U.S. Navy history, as a starting point, Spradlin spins a gut-wrenching survival tale featuring two stowaways and sharks lots and lots of sharks. Determined to find their parents, who have been trapped in the Philippines by the Japanese invasion, 12-year-old Patrick and his deeply traumatized little brother, Teddy, sneak on board the heavy cruiser with help from Benny, a friendly marine. After the ship is torpedoed, they find themselves, along with about 900 crew members, in waters that are soon aboil with triangular fins. Aboard an improvised raft surrounded by floating corpses and listening to the shrieks of wounded sailors, Patrick fends off attack after attack for more than three agonizing days while also struggling to cope with thirst, hunger, shock, and Teddy's near constant bouts of wild panic. Rescue arrives at the last moment. The author closes with a strange revelation about Benny, a tearful family reunion, and an afterword describing both the disaster and the trumped-up court martial that followed it. Grim and vivid.--Peters, John Copyright 2015 Booklist

Excerpts

From INTO THE KILLING SEASThe sun was closer to the western horizon now. As it dropped further, the wind rose and came whistling across the surface of the water. Not long after that, the waves started up again, the pallet lifting and falling as it floated along. "Patty, boy, listen," Benny said. "The seas is gettin' rough again. You gotta wake Teddy up and you boys find a way to tie yourselves to this pallet. Use your belts. We don't need nobody fallin' off in the dark."I looked around at the water's surface. The waves were a couple of feet high and getting bigger. We had been in a debris field earlier and I wondered if maybe there was something floating by we could use. The only thing I found was a piece of wood about three feet long and four inches wide. I managed to snatch it from the water. I kept scanning the waters surface hoping to find a piece of rope, a strap or netting, anything, but the only thing I saw made me shrink back in fear"Benny we got worse problems," I said."What is it, sport?" "The sharks are back. The big ones." First one, then two, then five large dorsal fins popped out of the water, slowly circling the raft. Excerpted from Into the Killing Seas by Michael P. Spradlin All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.