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CM . . .
. Volume IX Number 8. . . . December 13, 2002
excerpt: There was a tarp over the top of the boat. I tied a rope onto her and let my sail luff in the wind. With all Harold's talk about rum smuggling, I think I half expected that I'd lift the tarp and see a boatload of drugs or smuggled gold or booze or something. I undid a knotted rope holding down one corner and thought I'd just take a peek. Suddenly, a knife came jabbing up right through the tarp and nearly sliced off my left nostril. I screamed and fell back into my Laser. As the tarp flapped open I saw a dark-skinned man with a crazed look in his eye jump out. The knife in his hand was aimed at my throat. Concentrating on sailing his Laser sailboat to the hilt in order to shut down the pain of his father's recent death, Greg and his mother are attempting to settle in to tiny Deep Cove, Newfoundland, when Greg finds a family of desperate refugees drifting helplessly on the North Atlantic. Tamara and her parents accept the hospitality of Greg and his mother, but even the support of the entire community can't keep the refugees' presence secret from immigration authorities. Only the skill of Harold, an old fisherman, and the bravery of Greg, save the fleeing Tamara and her family from a vicious storm and certain death on the rocky shores. As the immigration authorities question Greg's mother, we learn that the refugee family will be accepted in Canada as landed immigrants. They insist on staying in Deep Cove because there they have friends. Refugee Cove brings up a timely theme as both coasts of Canada have recently been the destination for many anxious refugees from various desperate, war-torn nations. Choyce is careful to leave the exact details of Tamara's family generic enough to apply to many current Canadian refugees. The very clear message that we must not only help but also befriend refugees will not be lost upon today's globally aware teens. Greg's character strength comes from his parents, particularly his father's compassion and lessons that he keeps remembering in order to deal with his father's death. Although a typical impulsive teenage boy, Greg is a disciplined, award-winning sailor. The sailing scenes in this book are realistic and gripping, reflecting Choyce's knowledge of the sea and sailing. Harold, the gruff old sailor, brings some humour to the story. The Deep Cove community spirit reflects perfectly the small town generosity towards those in need. The desperation and anxiety of Tamara and her family, particularly her father, bring home to the reader the horror of war and soldiering around the world. Refugee Cove is one of the Orca Soundings new fiction series for teens who are just beginning to develop a taste for reading. The print is large. The book is short and full of action. The cover is outstanding. Well done. Recommended. Joan Marshall is the teacher-librarian at Fort Richmond Collegiate in Winnipeg MB.
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