Review by Ian Keogh
Maxwell Eaton III’s third Survival Scout predicament sees the adaptable and capable Scout alone in a small boat at sea, her less diligent brother having been dragged away by a porpoise. It’s a dangerous situation, and Scout has to overcome not only being isolated, but the poor weather conditions as well.
Eaton’s cleverly conceived books follow an instructional formula that entertains along the way. You’d hope that no child finds themselves in the situations Scout does, but should the worst occur Eaton’s research and clarity at least ensures they’re possibly prepared. After introducing the problem, Eaton impresses the importance of staying calm. He has Scout take an inventory of what she has available, as per the sample page, and then runs through the options. In the the case of being lost at sea the ideal circumstance would be to be rescued by another boat, and the means of attracting attention are the first solutions provided.
Scout’s accompanied by her friendly skunk, the supplier of silly jokes and someone to explain too. As is correct in a book aimed at children, there are no assumptions on Eaton’s part. Having enough water to drink is a life-saving priority in any danger, yet young readers might not know why sea water is undrinkable in quantity. Because the intention is to save lives, there’s no sparing feelings, so fish are revealed as sources of water less salty than the sea, but in order to get at that water a fish needs to be caught, killed, chopped up and squeezed.
As has been the case in the previous books Tsunami and Lost in the Mountains, Eaton provides an extraordinary amount of information, but better still presents it in such an easily absorbed way. Lost at Sea is aimed at children, but plenty of adults could also learn, not least the meanings of nautical terms such as lubber and jib. Here, for instance, there’s an in-depth explanation of the principles of sailing. Some matters, such as finding directions, are duplicated from earlier books, others according to the circumstances are new.
Once the explanations have been given and assessments made, taking us to page 91, Scout finally sets the boat going, and that’s when the bad weather seen on the cover moves in.
It needs a smart child to take everything in, but Lost at Sea is an astonishing achievement in contracting and explaining what could save lives. It should be an essential purchase for any child likely to spend time on a boat.
