Williwaw!

by Tom Bodett

This is another good adventure story. It's an adventure I think many kids, if not all, have at least once in their lives--trying to cover their tracks when they've disobeyed. This one takes place in the wilder parts of Alaska.

Ivan and September Crane are 12 and 13. While their father, a fisherman, is at sea, they are trusted to keep their Alaskan home running, instead of going to stay with the dreaded Aunt and Uncle in the town across the bay. There are only two conditions: do not take the skiff out on the bay to go to town, and do not hook video games up to the battery for the short-wave radio--their only means of communications.

It's the fall and weather in the bay is unpredictable at best. Ivan struggles to obey the game restriction, but decides just once won't hurt. He manages to fry the radio, the short-wave, and his game. September is furious and Ivan is devastated. When they decide to use Ivan's savings to repair the radios, they break the second restriction and travel to town. Their ill-fated adventure begins.

This book reminded me so much of my own brother and sister. Those of us who have siblings or who grow up close to someone, know that it is difficult to describe the treasured turbulence in that relationship--you want to kill them and you would die for them. Ivan and September are just like that. I chuckled so many times as I read, seeing myself and my own boys in these two. My college friend Reba recommended this book, saying her children, boys and girls, loved it and read it many times. I can see why.

"Eww. Brown rice!" (Ivan)

"I told you," September said, grabbing the steaming dish from the stove top. "Besides, it's good for you."

Ivan plopped down in his chair and leaned unhappily on the table. "Who told you that?"

September thought a moment. "I guess Mom did."

"Oh." Ivan spooned some rice onto a plate and got quiet. He didn't remember as much about their mother as September did, and it bothered him sometimes. "Well, it still tastes bad."

"Don't you know that everything that tastes bad is good for you?" September tried to make a joke to move the subject in a new direction.

"You think skunk cabbage is good for you? How about baneberry?"

Leave it to Ivan, thought September, and was about to rise to the silly argument, when their VHF radio crackled across the kitchen.

True to life, Ivan and September's efforts are thwarted at every turn, and it is fun (as a parent) and painful (as a previous offender) to read this. I am glad they fail even while I silently root for their ingenuity. I can do this because ultimately, they just don't want to disappoint their father, losing his trust.

I think kids like this book because Ivan and September are so independent. Sure, they have chores--but they drive their own boat, fill the tank, fool their one cranky neighbor, navigate the bay by themselves, and impress the new kid in town and get invited to his party. They struggle with some of the same temptations and fears our kids do.

While TC and his mom dished out cake, September and Ivan helped pass it around. September relished the job. She met more kids in ten minutes than she'd met in the last ten years. Each table had a ring of friendly faces. Hello, I'm Norman. Thank you, I'm Laura, What's your name? I'm Angela. Can I have the piece with the flower?

Williwaw! is for younger children. The siblings talk, tease, and argue much of the story, and there are some descriptive sections which almost beg for an audience greater than one.

Ivan looked back. All he saw was a wall of water shimmering like black silk. September pegged the motor, and they shot up the face so fast he felt his insides compact. From the crest he saw the town far beyond the angry white tops of the waves lined up behind them like an advancing army. His guts floated into his throat as the skiff fell into the next trough.

Even though deceased, the mother is a strong presence in the story. The childrens' memories of her and her songs are frequent and influence them as much as their father. Their father, Harry, their grumpy neighbor, even the mother at the party . . . the few grownups in the story are strong, watchful guardians. They offer a little advice but mostly observe this difficult journey to maturity.

Tom Bodett, author and long-time Alaskan resident, is on public radio and PBS. He can also be heard on Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Saturday Night Live and National Geographic Explorer. I like him best as the kind and welcoming voice for Motel 6. Thanks Mr. Bodett, for this wonderful story.