Drowning Days by Muriel Ellis Pritchett

TITLE INFORMATION

Drowning Days

Muriel Ellis Pritchett

Black Rose Writing, 165 pages

9781684339112, 3.31.22

Overall Rating = 5

Storyline & Concept = 5

Writing & Delivery = 5

Editorial = 5

Sixth grader, Luke Sigman, suffers a shock when his dad dies unexpectedly. He, along with his mother and older brother, are thrown into a tailspin and are forced to leave their home and move to his grandmother’s house in the Georgia marshland. Trying to deal with his personal loss and the upending of his life, Luke needs to work through a long list of challenges that await him in Georgia.

This novel brilliantly portrays the viewpoint of an eleven-year-old boy who experiences trauma and upheaval in his young life. There are several themes woven throughout the plot. The overriding theme is dealing with the pain and grief of losing a loved one, and it is powerfully portrayed through the pre-teen boy. The author artfully uses this opportunity to blend in the issues of bullying, family differences, and reconciliation. The reader is treated to the well-described setting of the Georgia coast and all the adventures to be found in such a setting. This is an excellent novel for middle-grade readers who love action and learning about new places, while seamlessly being exposed to life lessons.

Sublime Line: “Drowning Days gets top marks as a brilliantly written adventure novel that deals with difficult topics for middle-graders.”

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