Synopses & Reviews
Submarine Outlaw takes YA readers on a unique journey when Alfred, a young boy who wants to be an explorer -- not a fisherman -- teams up with a junkyard genius to build a submarine that he sails around the Maritimes. The book takes the reader through the detailed hands-on process of submarine construction into the world of real ocean navigation, replete with a high-seas chase, daring rescue, and treasure hunting. Children will identify with Alfred's desire for an adventurous life and the sense of empowerment that comes with building his own submarine and operating it independently. They will also love the unusual crew -- a rescued dog and a quirky seagull. The First Prize Winner of the Atlantic Writers Competition, Submarine Outlaw shows how any great goal in life takes a good deal of patience, determination and hard work. But hard work on one's dream becomes an act of joy. Another important theme developed is the importance of good judgment. The main character learns first hand that he is equally able to make good and bad choices, and must quickly identify the difference. The theme of choosing a career of one's own in the face of familial or societal opposition is also well developed. There is an element of mystery and intrigue intrinsic to submarines that makes for compelling reading. When the main character is mistaken for a Russian spy sub and chased by the Canadian coastguard, the plot takes many exciting twists, making the book difficult to put down. Children will identify with the main character because he is an average young teen filled with desire and enthusiasm, and driven to follow his dreams. Step by step they will see how a typical, average young teen comes to live a very extraordinary experience.
Synopsis
Fiction. Young Adult Novel. What happens when a fearless young explorer teams up with a junkyard genius and builds a submarine? Going to sea with an unusual crew, a strangely intelligent seagull with attitude and a dog that nobody wanted, Alfred unwittingly becomes the "Submarine Outlaw" and discovers that the sea is a busy place. Escaping from the coastguard when he is mistaken for a Russian spy sub, rescuing a family on a sailboat in a storm, and running from thieves who are after the gold coins he has raised from the floor of the Louisburg harbor, Alfred learns that a modern explorer must keep his wits about him as he sails on the high seas, or beneath them. First prize winner in the Atlantic Writers Competition.
About the Author
Philip Francis Roy was born and raised in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He grew up beside the ocean, and it now features in many of the stories he writes. His university studies included music and history, but he also knew from an early age that he wanted to write novels. SUBMARINE OUTLAW, his first published novel, was the result of a lifelong fascination with submarines and a secret desire to build one. "If teens enjoy reading SUBMARINE OUTLAW half as much as I enjoyed writing it," says Philip, "I will feel very rewarded indeed." JOURNEY TO ATLANTIS was the product of another dream—to work with myths and legends from the world's great literature. RIVER ODYSSEY is the third book in the SUBMARINE OUTLAW series, and Philip Roy is already working on the fourth.