Captain Jenny and the Sea of Wonders

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Inspired by the south-sea voyages of Ulysses and Jason and the
Argonauts, this tale of magical fantasy is told in an old-fashioned
manner, complete with explicit chapter headings and list of
illustrations. Jenny receives a “call to adventure” from a talking
otter and, as captain, sets off with her crew of hardy sailors to find
the Lost City in the Sea of Wonders. Along the way, they encounter
dangerous Corsairs (pirates) and sirens, navigate through tempests and
clashing rock pillars, and are shipwrecked several times. Despite the
many setbacks, Jenny manages to save the day when she determines that
preserving the Lost City will create chaos rather than prevent it.

Jenny is a resourceful and intelligent heroine who has an unusual
penchant for formal, flowery language. This impresses her somewhat
skeptical crew and helps her to earn their respect. Modern children,
however, may find both the conversational style and vocabulary peculiar,
and may need encouragement to persevere, especially as the first 70
pages are relatively uneventful. As well, the characters are little more
than caricatures that serve to carry the plot forward but are unlikely
to elicit emotional response from children. The plot is imaginative and
once begun in earnest, the successive adventures will sweep readers to
the satisfying conclusion. This novel will find a ready audience with
children familiar with the ancient Greek tales, but fans of Harry Potter
will find these adventures rather tame. Recommended with reservations.