SUMMARY:
John Spencer is on his first sea-voyage with his father, a wealthy merchant and ship’s owner, trying to learn the business. During a storm off the coast of Cornwall, their ship, the Isle of Skye, is blown towards the dangerous reef known as The Tombstones. At the last moment, John spots what appear to be lights in a safe harbour, but when the ship gets closer, they all realize they have been purposefully led to the reef in order to be wrecked. John awakens only to see one of his fellow seamen being murdered by the local inhabitants, and realizes he is in mortal danger. This starts John on a mad dash to safety, and when he is temporarily rescued by a legless vagrant named Stumps, he hears that his father is still alive and requires rescue. Not sure whether to believe the frightening Stumps or not, John is soon captured by the local villains and is about to be killed. At the last moment, the local landowner, Simon Mawgan, arrives to take John home to temporary safety with his young niece, Mary.

While John attempts to sort truth from fiction and find his missing father, he learns of the practice of “wrecking,” and begins to understand that there is much more at work than he first suspected. What is the secret that keeps Simon Mawgan from his brother Eli’s love? What has happened to Simon’s family? Who is the “puppetmaster” manipulating the tiny Cornish village? Most importantly, whom should John trust, in order to find his father and save him in time?

WHAT ELSE?
This is the first of three stories featuring the protagonist, John. This particular novel won or was nominated for a number of awards, including Booklist Editor’s Choice, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, School Library Journal’s Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, ALA Quick Pick, and an Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination for Best Children’s Mystery. Iain Lawrence is Canadian, and has written other books in the Novel Kit collection as well, so an author study is a possibility.

RELATED LINKS:
About the Author Iain Lawrence
The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence Resource Page
Red Cedar Awards and Nominations Iain Lawrence