Carry On, Mr. Bowditch: A Newbery Medal–Winning Adventure About Courage and Mastering the Seas

Embark on a whirlwind adventure over the highseas in the life of Nathaniel Bowditch. He was a clever man and frankly made me sad that my ability to do math is so abysmal. Great book though. Also good for educational purposes, as the author is a foremost authority in historical studies.

Excellent read. Very informative.

The biggest strength of the book is its inspiring true-life story and strong theme of perseverance. Nat Bowditch is portrayed as extremely determined—even after being forced to leave school early, he teaches himself advanced math, languages, and navigation. His journey shows how curiosity and discipline can lead to extraordinary achievement.

This book just goes to show that the really good stories are not made up. Bowditch's story reads like a fiction novel never could! From indentured servitude to one of the most important men the Navy has ever had! This man, from the humblest of beginnings, change the way that navigation is done around the world. His impact is so great that his book of navigation is found on every US ship to this day! If ever you need confirmation of that, take a tour on the USS Midway and go through the map room. You'll find his book probably displayed on the shelves! We got the audio edition, and listen to it as a family. Very expertly red, the reader makes the book fun and interesting even for the Young ones! This is a book that we are very glad to have gotten, and we will definitely listen to this one again and again.

I went to school as a physicist, and found career employment as an oceanographer. Bowditch's American Practical Navigator is our bible, so when I saw this, I had to buy. I was pleased far beyond my expectations. I will buy more copies to stuff in my local free library, because it's that good, and youth friendly. I'm keeping the first one I bought because I want to read it again.

I read this aloud to my children and we learned some historical and nautical things but we all found the story itself to be a bit dry. If you think of it as a history book written in story form, it's pretty good. If you think of it as an adventurous tale, it's just ok.

This book was given as a gift to a 14-year old who has said he wants to become a merchant marine. I had no idea how to encourage him in this endeavor, asked ChatGPT what might help, and it recommended this book. I found three chapters online for free, read them myself, and quickly saw that it would hold the interest of a kid. Think "Tom Sawyer" at sea.

I am a father of 8 kids (6 sons, 2 daughters) and trying my best to read ahead of them to keep junk out of their heads. Wish me well. Cons: A bit heavy. Very realistic in terms of life and death. No punches are pulled here. Lots of death of emotionally important people. It's only near the end before you start feeling a good upward pull. Pros: All romance is dealt with respectably and positively. Nothing lewd. Learn a lot about nautical topics. See the benefit to working with those around you. See the benefit of not giving up. A thoughtful reader would be grateful their life was easier than this. In our house this will be limited to 13yo+ because of the emotional weight of it all. But well written, wonderful read. It is now one of my favorite books. Spoiler alert: The lifespan of the women in this book are pretty short.

An amazing book. Great insight to the life and times of Nat Bowditch. Highly recommend.

Great story - learned lots about navigation!

This would intrigue and interest children of 8 and over, It tells the story of a young boy who, though from a poor family, through perseverance and hard work became a leading expert in sea navigation. He wrote a manual on navigation which saved many lives in the days before radar and electronics. An inspiring story of courage and character.

This title kept cropping up on lists of must-read books, but it was only this summer that I finally curled up with "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch." It took a chapter or two to capture my interest, but after that it was a swift sail to the finish. As with much historical fiction, it can be a challenge to sift through the "fiction" and the "fact." Upon checking historical records, it became clear that the meat of the story is fact and the author only peppered the story lightly with fiction. Nathaniel Bowditch was indeed a mathematical genius, he did write a navigational book that saved countless lives, and he did educate himself after being denied the opportunity to complete his schooling due to family financial stresses. He is a quiet American hero worth getting to know. This is an enthralling story, but it is also a story of an inspiring man of impeccable character. For that reason alone, I would recommend this book to young people today. Girls will enjoy the book for the romance; boys will love the danger and adventure.

Beatifully written biography on one of the great Navigators and his contribution to navigation.