Call It Courage

Call It Courage

By Armstrong Sperry

7 ratings 17 reviews 10 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 4 - 8X6.219326
Maftu was afraid of the sea. It had taken his mother when he was a baby, and it seemed to him that the sea gods sought vengeance at having been cheated of Mafatu. So, though he was the son of the Great Chief of Hikueru, a race of Polynesians who worshipped courage, and he was named Stout Heart, he feared and avoided tha sea, till everyone branded him a coward. When he could no longer bear their taunts and jibes, he determined to conquer that fear or be conquered-- so he went off in his canoe, alone except for his little dog and pet albatross. A storm gave him his first challenge. Then days on a desert island found him resourceful beyond his own expectation. This is the story of how his courage grew and how he finally returned home. This is a legend. It happened many years ago, but even today the people of Hikueru sing this story and tell it over their evening fires.
Publisher: Novel Units, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781561374922
ISBN-10: 156137492X
Published on 2/20/2007
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 44

Book Reviews (19)

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cool book cool book

such a cool book ! i love when mafatu stops being afraid of the sea and reaturns from the island with the boar tooth neacklace!

Reader Reader

A adventurous book anyone could ask for.

this is an amazing book it is about a boy named maftu who was afraid of the sea. When he was little his mother was dragged into the sea and killed. He gets teased because he is afraid so he proves his courage by sailing to a new island . He survives with many chalenges and makes it home safley. This is an amazing book.

SavageDoge1 SavageDoge1

The book was OK.It wasn't really the greatest book because it said there were going to be good cliff hangers but I couldn't even tell if there were cliff hangers.Once you got to the middle and end of the story things take a long time because when Maftu tried to kill the pig thing he took like 2 or 3 days just to encounter it. I personally think it is not a book I will recommend. But #best survival skills ever.

I Have a rolex I Have a rolex

kinda good

Phill Phill

l would not really recommend this book. Sure it reminded me of the movie Moana, but the author said that there is cliff hangers , and there really isn't any. l could stop at any point and not feel the need to keep reading.The book was also no fun to read because I could predict the book . It is not award worthy.

yourboijeffYT yourboijeffYT

good at the beginning but bad at the end and middle.

yourboijeffYT yourboijeffYT

The book was okay at the beginning because of the drama but i really didn't understand the words at the end.

that one person that one person

This book is about Mafatu a boy who is afraid of the sea. If my mother died because of the sea I probably would be afraid too. I think this book is awesome and i would recommend it to any 4th grader.

I just read this book and it is totally awesome. Mafatu was afraid of the sea, unlike the people in his village. Starting when he was 3, he saw his mother die because of a storm, and that started his fear. All his life until he was 15, he was teased and bullied all because of his fear of the sea. Mafatu couldn't stand it, so he started out onto a journey to prove his courage. As he was starting his journey, he was caught in a storm and landed in a desert island with his dog, Uri, as his only companion. In the island, Mafatu learns how to face his fears, learning to hunt and love the sea, just like everyone in the village. Finally, Mafatu realizes he has to go back to his island, where he is greeted as a hero to everyone in his home village. This book teaches people what courage is like and how to face your fears, one step at a time. I recommend this book to people between ages 9-15, and people who love adventures that tell them what they truly mean to people like them.

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