Faraway Things
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Faraway Things, by award-winning author Dave Eggers and illustrated by Kelly Murphy, tells the story of a little boy named Lucian who, after a storm, searches the shoreline below his seacliff home for "faraway things" -- a term his father had coined -- that have washed up. He's thrilled to find a cutlass, but the captain of a wooden sailing ship and two crew members aririve to reclaim it, and Lucian doesn't want to give it up. Their negotiation -- and what he trades for it -- reveal a lot about what Lucian is really searching for, and the grief he's processing. The book has a timeless look and feel, and an emotional depth that makes it best for kids who are a little older than the publisher's suggested earliest age of 4. But kids of all ages will be drawn to the evocative, muted-palette illustrations filled with telling details.
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What's the Story?
A little boy named Lucian searches the shoreline in front of the home he shares with his mother, hoping to find FARAWAY THINGS that have washed up from the sea after a storm. He finds a special treasure: a sword like the ones he's seen in books, called a cutlass. He brings it home... and dreams of his father, who it appears is no longer there. The next day he's down on the beach playing with the cutlass when he notices a great wooden sailing ship stuck on a sandbar, and a small rowboat coming toward him. The ship captain and two of his crew members land on Lucian's beach, and the captain sees Lucian hiding the cutlass behind him. He says, "That's mine," and asks for it back. But Lucian doesn't want to give it up. The captain offers him a deal: "If you return the cutlass, I'll let you chooses whatever object you like from the treasures I've accumulated. That cutlass means more to me than anything on my ship." So Lucian ties his skiff to the captain's rowboat and they go out to the ship, where crew members are busy trying to free it from the sandbar. The object he chooses says a lot about Lucian's connection to his father and finding meaning in continuing his father's work.
Is It Any Good?
This gentle, moving, multilayered story of a grieving boy's encounter wth an empathetic stranger has a timeless look and feel that makes it seem like a favorite fairy tale. In its understated way, the story conveys a bundle of mysteries. What happened to Lucian's father? Is Lucian sad and lonely or just an independent soul who enjoys imaginative play? Why is the ship's captain so kind and understanding rather that harsh and demanding when Lucian refuses to give up the cutlass? Can chance encounters be life-changing?
There's lots to chew on here, and author Dave Eggers' beautiful writing sets a thoughtful mood for an adventure story. Kelly Murphy's illustrations let readers enter a world that seems both in this moment and in some magical undefined time. It's one of those books you can get more out of each time you read it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the treasure Lucian finds in Faraway Things. Why is he so taken with it? Why is it so hard to give up? Why did he choose what he traded for it?
Can you tell when the story is set? Could it be set a long time ago? What about the illustrations make it seem like an old-fashioned storybook tale?
What clues do you get about Lucian's dad? How do you think Lucian feels when he comes home from the ship?
Book Details
- Author: Dave Eggers
- Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: June 8, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback
- Last updated: June 9, 2021
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