Other editions of book The Voyage Of The Frog

"I am going to be cremated. I want you to take my ashes out alone on the Frog, out to sea alone, and leave me there. Take me to where you can’t see land and scatter my ashes there on the water.…" Fourteen-year-old David Alspeth is the owner of a 22-foot sailboat, an inheritance from his uncle Owen, who recently died of cancer. Uncle Owen’s last request before he died was that David should take his ashes out to sea, a job David would give anything to avoid. When he finally sets sail on calm, clear evening, David feels the weight of what he must do all around him. He can’t imagine life without Owen. David completes his task, but on the return trip home he is caught unawares by a freak storm. Stranded, with no compass, no radio, and only a few cans of food, it seems as if things couldn’t get any worse. But they do.

This adventure novel about survival at sea by Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen is now available in an After Words paperback edition!David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water.David thought surely he was dead at fourteen. His uncle Owen, who had taught him about sailing safely, would be so angry. Owen had died only days ago, his last wish for David to take the FROG out on his own, and sail her beyond sight of the coast, and once there scatter Owen's ashes.

This adventure novel about survival at sea by Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen is now available in an After Words paperback edition!David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water.David thought surely he was dead at fourteen. His uncle Owen, who had taught him about sailing safely, would be so angry. Owen had died only days ago, his last wish for David to take the FROG out on his own, and sail her beyond sight of the coast, and once there scatter Owen's ashes.

Slowly, David opened his eyes and looked around the horizon, wincing again with the new movement. There was nothing sticking above the water as far as he could see.He was alone.Fourteen-year-old David Alspeth intended only to fulfill his uncle's last wish when he set sail in the Frog, but when a savage storm slams into the tiny sailboat, David is stranded. No wind. No radio. Little water. Seven cans of food. And the storm is just the first challenge David must face...

The Voyage of The Frog examines deep, real life issues such as death and confidence. This lesson will bring you up to speed on the plot and some important themes in the story. The main character David Hatcher has just lost his favorite uncle, Owen, to cancer. Owen leaves David with two things: his boat, named The Frog, and the task of sailing off the coast of southern California to scatter his ashes. This is a big task for a boy that age; David is deeply saddened by the loss of Owen; he looks at the jar of ashes and thinks about the fact that all his uncle ever was fits into that jar. Paulsen uses the jar as a symbol in the story. Symbolism is when an author uses the plot, events or specific objects (such as the jar) to represent something deeper and more meaningful. In this scene David is looking at a small object and feeling small and sad. He is currently unaware that his uncle's real gift, the experience of sailing alone and saying goodbye, is larger than anything he can imagine. Keep an eye out for other examples of symbolism as you read.