Navigating Early
By Sally Engelfried,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Compelling adventure as two boys cope with loss, loneliness.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Captivating!
Report this review
Depth on many levels!
Report this review
What's the Story?
After 13-year-old Jack's mother dies, his father sends him from Kansas to a boarding school in Maine to deal with his grief on his own. he feels out of place at the Morton Hill Academy feels out of place until he befriends Early Auden, a strange boy who seems to come and go as he likes, and who believes there's an important story to be found in the numbers that make up the number pi. Early tells parts of the tale to Jack throughout the book, and though Early insists the story of Pi, a young man named after the number, is true, Jack is skeptical. Still, when Early insists he's going to travel the Appalachian Trail to find the Pi of his legend, Jack reluctantly agrees to come along, and the boys set off on a quest that eerily mirrors the Pi story, complete with pirates, hidden treasures, a giant black bear, and redemption.
Is It Any Good?
NAVIGATING EARLY intertwines the past and present to create a meaningful and compelling story of two boys dealing with loss and loneliness. As in her Newbery Award-winning Moon Over Manifest, author Clare Vanderpool expertly deals with complex emotions, wrapping them in metaphor and refracting them throughout the cast of characters, so that each is fully realized and even the bad guys reveal their pain. This is not just a psychological exploration, however: It's an adventure story, and the boys' odyssey is filled with enough peril and narrow escapes to keep readers engaged.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why quests are so popular in stories. What other books you've read or moves you've seen have an epic quest at the core of the plot?
Since Navigating Early takes place in 1945, Jack and Early have only a flashlight and compass with them. If you went on that journey today, what technology would you be sure to take along?
Early says you must always listen to Billie Holiday's music on rainy days. What music do you like to listen to when it rains? How about when it's sunny?
Book Details
- Author: Clare Vanderpool
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship, Pirates, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Delacorte Press
- Publication date: January 8, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 12
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate