a book by Sarah Ell

Reviewed by Deborah Paterson (12yrs) 

Geraldine Hicks sails a P Class, a small one man boat, at Waikauwau Bay in Auckland. Geraldine loves to sail, it’s her most favourite thing to do and she’s quite good at it too. "Sea Sprite" Geraldine’s beloved P Class was handed down to her after an unsuccessful attempt to get her 16 year old sister Constance interested in Sailing. The Tanner Cup and the Tauranga Cup are coming up. For the Tanner cup one P Class sailor from each region in New Zealand. Geraldine knows she doesn’t have a chance against Chris Verdun, by far the best sailor in the North Harbour region, but with the luck she’s been having lately she might just have a chance at finishing in the top 5 at the Tauranga Cup. With her heart focused on the up coming events, Geraldine thinks there’s nothing that can distract her and put her out of racing in her P Class. A few weeks before the Tanner Cup trials her Grandmother, that she knows practically nothing about is put to rest, which causes grief and problems in the family. Several days after, her grandfather comes to live with them and to Geraldine’s disappointment, takes over her room and forces her to move in to her sister Constance’s room. Just a few days later disaster strikes again for Geraldine and her other Waikauwau Bay sailors. Will Geraldine make it to the Tauranga Cup or will her dreams disappear in to the waves?

I found this novel by Sarah Ell one of the best books I’ve read so far. Like very few books I have read, it has that something that wont let you put the book down, and not because its glued to your fingers, but because you really want to know what happens further on in the story. I was not very interested in sailing at first and my dad was always encouraging me to go for a sail with him in our Sunburst, but now I might just be getting into it, but in my own Optimist.

I would recommend this book to boys and girls of around the age of 11 – 13 and hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

There are other books similar to this one which covers most of the different sports Boots n’ All, Give it Hoops and Rebound.

I borrowed this book was in my school library.

20 May 2002.