The book focuses on the imaginings of one child as they imagine the lives of two boys who crashed aboard a steamship in May 1882. This story has vivid and active drawings that display the emotions and intensity of the characters.
Ages: K - 3rd Grade
Source: Pierce County Library ( )

Story of immigration and heroes
Ages 3-9
Source Pierce County Library ( )

This story follows the adventure of two young boys, Anthony and Pedro, on their journey from Brazil to America in 1882 aboard the Pliny. Anthony and Pedro pass their three week journey by pretending they are pirates while running around. One night the Pliny is caught in a rough storm. The waves become violent and cause the ship to begin to sink. Anthony and Pedro struggle to find their families and get into lifeboats. The captain sends up a distress symbol. Soon they see smoke from a distance away. Anthony and Pedro mistake the smoke for pirates but it turns out to be the surfman of the United States Life-Saving Service, or as they were commonly known, “heroes of the surf.” They save everyone aboard the Pliny and bring them to shore in Deal Beach, New Jersey. Now that they are safe and on their way to New York, Anthony and Pedro no longer want to be pirates but instead want to be heroes of the surf. The central message of this story is the bravery of the real heros of the surf to save immigrants coming to America. This is shown through the details of the treacherous waves that the US Life-Saving Service has to brave in order to save the terrified passengers of the Pliny. ( )

This book is a fun history read for students. In addition to the great story and wonderful illustrations, the real story of the ship the characters were on is in the back. So the students hear this story and understand that is was a real event.

Dramatic rescue of passengers from a wrecked ship off the New Jersey coast. ( )