Fish by Gregory Mone

Fish Reviews

• 
  C.J. Milbrandt

  Fish is sent away from the family farm to work for an uncle in the city, but while running an errand, he becomes mixed up with a shipful of unpapered privateers (translation: pirates). Gold coins and gruel. Swabbing and scallywags. Knots and not-fighting. Giant mutes and gentleman pirates.
  
  Loved this adventure from beginning to end, especially the puzzling clues our treasure-hunters struggled to solve. An excellent yarn.
• 
  Colin

  After the family horse dies, Fish, aptly named for his natural swimming ability, is sent from his family's farm to the city to earn money as a delivery boy. But after some mysterious coins that Fish was tasked with delivering get stolen, he inadvertently joins the crew of the Scurvy Mistress. Reluctant at first, Fish soon finds himself more at home on the sea than on dry land. He befriends his fellow pirates and naturally makes a few enemies just by being there. Now Fish must help the pirate captain unravel the clues leading to Chain of Chuacar, a valuable treasure not seen in many years, and prevent the mutiny being led by the first mate.
  
  I typically don't think that young adult fiction and pirates are two things that go together considering that pirates aren't the most ideal role models for kids. However, this book does a good job of trying to stay faithful to pirate mythology while not encouraging the less favorable aspects of it. For example, after Fish is forced in to a fight, he opts to take a pacifistic approach in combat. His friend Daniel begins to teach him “non fighting” skills that reads as a form of mixed martial arts of some sort that is unnamed in the book. Speaking of naming things, there were a couple of small references in the book that annoyed me. Nora, the ship's cook, apparently invented the sandwich and the pirate named Jumping Jack invented a form of aerobics that he quickly named after himself. These aren't big deals but they broke the flow of the story. Kids who read this book and are less fact snobbish then myself probably wont care and may even find it amusing.
  
  In the end this is fun read for kids/young adults who are fascinated by pirates. The chapters are the perfect length and full of action and adventure. This is not a boring book.
• 
  Mari

  This one started out very strong for me - appealing characters, plot, writing etc. Plus, pirates! Gotta love pirates.
  
  Later on, there were a number of times that the dialog or writing felt off. I know I won't remember specifics if I don't write them down. The one that looms biggest in my mind was when Fish, Nate, and Nora go hunting on Turtle Island. This incident has the benefit of passing along a cool fact - but it was jarring. Basically, it felt like the scene was there JUST to get that nifty fact into the book. It may not bother other readers, but this kind of thing pulls me out of a book when really I just want to stay immersed in the story.
  
  I did like it, and needed to finish reading it to see what would happen to the characters I had come to care about. However, with different pre-publication readers and/or editors, I think it could have been tightened up, resulting in a better crafted work.
  
  (I always feel bad when I write a critical review. I don't do it lightly. Mr. Mone, if you ever happen to read this, please know that I strive to be respectful and honest about my experience as one of your readers.)
• 
  JoJo

  To me, "Fish" will always be one of the ultimate comfort books - comfort food in book-form. It's been a good two or three years since my last re-read, and yet, it never fails to make me smile. The oft-times whimsical and hilarious dialogue (AND THE CHARACTERS !!! ) (the "One-Eyed Willies" and the "Scalawags for Sausages" had me ROLLING. ON. THE. FLOOR.) (LITERALLY ANY OF THE CHARACTERS COULD MAKE ME LAUGH ANY TIME ANY DAY OF THE WEEK THEY WERE ALL FANTASTIC) paired with the thrill of hidden treasure have kept me hooked, even after all these years.
  
  I always forgot how quick a read this one is, a blink and it's over kind of book. I picked it up this time because I had just finished reading "Challenger Deep" and was in the mood for more time spent out on the open seas, preferably more grounded in reality than Caden's journey. Nonetheless, Fish's voyage has in no way satiated my thirst for the crisp, cool breeze with a tang of salt, or the rare warm, billowing puffs of air, or still nights under a blanket of stars, or the constant rocking of a boat beneath my feet.
  
  (Praying even harder that summer comes sooner rather than later.)
  
  All in all, this book is a bundle of fun (did I mention there's an island named after TURTLES???) that never disappoints. Was not my first and most certainly not my last time picking this gem up. (Trust me, just read it. It's a FUN. TIME.)
• 
  Nilsson

  It reminds of when I was at sea myself, last year. I wonder if Fish misses his brothers at all, being from such a fun sounding, big family though? I understand if he belongs at sea, but I'd miss my family if I stayed forever and never looked for them.
• 
  Debbie

  This was a great book. The reading level feels more middle school, but deals with an elementary aged child. A perfect read for my high students!
• 
  TheGeekishBrunette

  I’ve had this book sitting on my shelves for almost two years now. I picked it up from a thrift store for pretty cheap because I just loved the cover. It’s so fun! Plus, the title is quite interesting. Luckily, this was a fun read and the cover didn’t let me down!
  
  Fish is the name of a boy who learned to swim by almost drowning. He doesn’t have the best of luck at the beginning but his good manners, friendly attitude, and not giving up really helps him maneuver through becoming a pirate. He was such a fun character to read about and I loved how he put the pirates in their places and didn’t abide by the rules.
  
  There were other great characters in this book like his friends Daniel, Nate, and Nora. I also liked Captain Cobbs wife, Melinda. My favorite line from her was,
  
  “The little gentleman! So afraid to insult a lady! Well, don’t worry yourself, Fish, I am hardly offended. I am proudly a woman of some weight. And your fears are justifiable. I’m certain I could toss you across this deck as if you truly were a fish.”
  
  I’m glad there was as a few female characters in this and they weren’t just side characters who did nothing.
  
  There were also some great lessons throughout the book too. One was about being a captain/leader:
  
  “A good captain doesn’t control his men. He leads them.”
  
  The plot had great adventure and tons of piratey jobs. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was the perfect light/funny standalone I wanted.
• 
  Ron

  This is probably a pretty good story for an upper elementary child. It is the story of a boy raised on a farm who goes to the city to get a job. He's working to get money to help his family buy a new horse. While working, he ends up on a pirate ship searching for treasure.
• 
  Josh Newhouse

  4.5 stars for this pitch-perfect pageturner about the most civilized pirate captain ever and his somewhat scurvy crew... So close to 5 stars!
• 
  Annaka

  This was such a fun read. Fish is such a cute character, I immediately fell in love with him. I read this just because I wanted some kind of fun adventure book and this definitely delivered. I never think pirate books are where it’s at but I was definitely proven wrong. I also really like how believable this was for a kids book. The non graphic violence and the roles given to the boys on the ship really makes the story realistic and well rounded. I love the ocean too so it was nice to read a story where that was the main setting. Fish’s family was also pretty realistic for that time period. The old western dad who cares but doesn’t show it, the mother with a bunch of kids, the oldest brothers fighting all the time, and the oldest sisters being bossy towards the youngest. It’s just a really good children’s book and I’m definitely going to force my son to read it when he’s old enough.
• 
  Marlene

  Fish is tiny and weak and not very good at working the land. When his father takes him to the city to work for his uncle as a runner/delivery boy; Fish is excited to be able to contribute to the family. However, things don't always work out the way we plan and Fish ends up working on a pirate ship. A well written adventure with some twists and turns that require a creative mind and a steady heart.
• 
  Andie

  This tale of mutiny and bravery was lovely! It was a delightful children's book with an interesting cast of characters. I only picked it up because of the title, however the story was cute and had a balance of suspense and humor.
• 
  Heidi

  It is one of my son's favorite books. He suggested that I read it to Willow at night. It was not our kind of book. We trudged through it. Willow finally just had her dad read it because he had the best pirate voices. Anyway, it was a hit for half of the family.
• 
  Gig Wailgum

  a fun, lighthearted, kid-centric pirate adventure
• 
  Tiffany

  Very cute book. No excessive romance, no language and no excessive violence.
• 
  Elissa

  What a great adventure story that I'll be recommending to young readers!
• 
  Tommi

  Cute and fun book. I read it out loud to the kids.
• 
  Lauren

  Maybe it was because I read it while waiting for two hours in a crowded doctor's office waiting to get a shot for pneumonia, but I just kinda found this book boring. Fish's outlook on life was quite clever and enjoyable, though.
• 
  Carolynn Markey

  boring. I was not interested in any of the characters whatsoever
• 
  Holly Henderson

  If you want a middle grade level book about a kid living the life of a pirate, this is the book for you! I was obsessed with pirates when I little (who wouldn’t be?!) and I loved this story.
• 
  David

  I don't want people to think that a 3 star review means that it wasn't a well written book. This might be the time for me to clarify my rating strategies, since we are beginning a new year and I am trying to be more consistent with updating my goodreads account. I feel that I should rate books on an absolute scale, because I find it difficult to judge a novel by standards other than what I consider to be complex literary technique. Tales may be told simply enough for a child to understand them, yet have a depth of meaning, catching you fully in the tide of their plot, the richness of their characters, their imaginative fancy. Harry Potter is a good example, because even though the first books in the series were very well done, they do not posses the emotive power of the final novel.
  
  And great novels, 5 star novels, seem like they must also possess this emotive power, beside original narrative technique. 3 star novels are well done, but do not display originality of the kind that you feel only this one particular author could create. 1 star novels are unreadable mishaps, while 2 star novels can be mildly entertaining, but display overall lack of stylistic control and may perhaps not be worth finishing.
  
  With that in mind.... Fish is well written, with concise chapters that each have a defining incident. They do not meander and always end effectively. The reason I gave this book a 3 rather than a 4 is simply that there is nothing very interesting about the style. It was clear and unpretentious, but I don't think there was a single sentence that really captured my imagination or made me laugh.
  
  I imagine this book would be satisfying to many young people who enjoy adventure stories about pirates and the sea. It would be worth recommending to children and struggling high school readers, but there is not much in it besides the story itself, and so I would not recommend it to an adult.
  
  My progress update about halfway through the book might also be worth adding to the end of this review here:
  
  "Though there isn't much interesting about the style of this book, the chapters are very well done in that they each present a clear situation, very vividly described, and also has brightly colored and memorable characters. I suppose that in middle grade novels style is rarely a significant consideration, which means that this book has done a very good job of engrossing me in its story."
• 
  Brendan

  I first heard about Fish on BoingBoing, where Cory Doctorow gave it a very nice review. He writes:
  
  Chock full of real historic curiosities about pirates, sly humor for grownups, excellent action scenes and general quantities of swash and buckle, Fish is a great, self-contained addition to the canon of fun pirate fiction. Perfect for young readers, even better for reading aloud at bed-time, thanks to the plentiful cliff-hangers. (link)
  
  That's a great review, so I don't need to say more by way of review. A couple more thoughts about the book:
  
  * Fish gets his name for being a good swimmer, a skill very few people in the pirating world have. Mone clearly shares this trait with Fish, as his descriptions capture what, for me, is the joy of swimming around in the water. Having spent the summer watching my four year-old daughter spend an hour or more paddling in five-foot water and watching my 2 year-old son progress from "barely willing to step into the water" to "run and jump into water over his head and swim back to the side," it was a fun connection.
  * The book does a great job explaining both the dark side of pirates (cavalier attitude toward other peoples' deaths, for instance) and the progressive side (the pirate tradition of running ships democratically).
  * I love the non-fighting sequence, though Mone doesn't go so far as to say that non-fighting will always work. Fish wins a battle or two, but winning the war would be pretty hard.
  * The mother-smothered heir in the book reminds me, for some reason, of the meat packing Ross Perot clone from volume 7 of Ennis and Robertson's gloriously grotesque Preacher series. No clear connection here, especially since the character in Preacher is no lilting flower.
  * I will have to go back and read Treasure Island to see how this book compares to that one, its most obvious analog.
  
  Definitely worth a read. An excellent book for any middle-school or even late elementary school readers in your family.
  
• 
  Sathursan.K

  The book, "Fish" by Gregory Mone talks a boy named Maurice Reidy or "Fish" goes out to the work of work after their family's horse,Shamrock died. So he was delivering a wallet to a pirate when a pirate thief stole it. He follow him to a pirate's ship called "Scurvy Mistress".He meets pirates and their captain, "Captain Cobb" and his first mate,Scab. For Fish, being on a pirate ship takes a lot out of you but he learns what his captain is looking for. A golden chain so valuable it's like the rarest treasure ever.But when he hears about a mutiny happening, Fish and his friends:Nora,Nate and Daniel and some of the other pirates he helps stop the mutiny lead by Scab and some other pirates. With some of the crew and Captain Cobb, he was able to find the rare treasure and was able to give his family a herd of horses and some gold.
  
  I chose this book because this book had been very interesting to me since Gr.6. It has lots of suspense in the novel with humor by your young,treasure hunting boy.
  
  I finish this book because this book is very interesting for book that was cheap at the book fair. It talks about a poor,young boy who try to help his family by ends up having a career as a pirate. Fish begins his jobs as a treasure hunter with his friends. It was a book I wanted to finish because Fish ends up being a hero who you wouldn't think of.
  
  I would recommend this book to those who likes to read books about pirates and love reading books with suspense and humor. I would also recommend this book to those who wants to try a new topic and a new author that you barely know.
  
  
  
• 
  Nikki in Niagara

  Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my son. He loves seafaring tales, especially with pirates, while I, myself, am also a seafaring adventure fan, though pirates are not necessary for me.
  
  Both the 11yob and I enjoyed this book very much. It has everything you expect in a sea adventure. Pirates, mutiny, treasure hunts, ship battles, a treasure map, walking the plank and oh so much more. One element that is a lot of fun is that Fish, the main character, does not believe in fighting so to survive the pirate life he has a friend teach him the art of "non-fighting" which involves dodging the blows of someone intent on fighting *you* until they have exhausted themselves. This makes for a non-violent, yet still action-packed read which is funny and makes for some great scenes of "non-fighting". Fish is a well-rounded character and meets a small group of other young pirates, including one girl, who make a great team throughout the book. The villains are nasty in a "boo-hiss" type of way, making them great fun to root against while the story stays light-hearted in its rip-roaring adventure. A delightful story, that is a standalone book, with a satisfying end. It will appeal especially to boys, but seafaring minded girls will find common ground with the two main pirate female characters. Well written, plenty of action, with fun characters. A rip-roaring good yarn!