THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SEA

A Webquest

Rodman Philbrick was born in Boston in 1951.  Being raised with his three younger brothers among the salty residents of the Atlantic coast certainly explains his familiarity with the sea and its denizens.  The authenticity is furthered by the fact that in his later years, he worked as a shipbuilder.  He was an English major at the University of New Hampshire, but dropped out his sophomore year to help open a pub.  Adding to his authenticity for The Young Man and the Sea, he later worked as a carpenter, boat builder, and mold maker.  Alongside these blue-collar professions, he worked on his writing skills, finally getting his first novel published in 1978.  In 1980, he married his wife, editor and writer Lynn Harnett.

Philbrick's writings are very diverse, ranging from detective stories, science fiction, and realistic fiction taken from his own life experiences to graphic novels, short stories, and screenplays.  His most widely known work, Freak the Mighty, is based on a kid he knew growing up.  In 1998, it was adapted into a screenplay, becoming the film The Mighty.  His novels for young adults also include The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds, REM World, The Fire Pony, Max the Mighty, and The Last Book in the Universe.

But you're here for the webquest, aren't you?  Thought so.  Here are the steps:

1.  Read the Book Summary

2.  Look at the links, keeping in mind the story's themes, events, and characters

3.  Answer the quiz questions in a Word document

4.  Visit the rubric site to see how you will be graded

Email the creators of this webquest: 

Joann Yazzi

Steve Rasmussen