''Carry On, Mr. Bowditch'' is a novel by

Jean Lee Latham Jean Lee Latham (April 19, 1902 – June 13, 1995) was an American writer who specialized in biographies for children or young adults. Biography Jean Lee Latham was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Her father was a cabinetmaker and her mo ...

that was awarded the

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

in 1956. The book is a children's biography of

Nathaniel Bowditch Nathaniel Bowditch (March 26, 1773 – March 16, 1838) was an early American mathematician remembered for his work on ocean navigation. He is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation; his book '' The New American Practical Navi ...

, a sailor and mathematician who published the mammoth and comprehensive reference work for seamen: ''

The American Practical Navigator ''The American Practical Navigator'' (colloquially often referred to as ''Bowditch''), originally written by Nathaniel Bowditch, is an encyclopedia of navigation. It serves as a valuable handbook on oceanography and meteorology, and contains use ...

''. It is an epic tale of adventure and learning.

Plot summary

In Revolutionary War–era Salem, Massachusetts, a young Nat Bowditch, the smallest member of a sea-faring family, astounds his schoolteacher with his talent for mathematics. He dreams of someday attending

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

but is forced by his family's financial hardships to quit school and work in his father's cooperage. Even that sacrifice is not enough, and his family contracts him into

indentured servitude Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract, called an "indenture", may be entered "voluntarily" for purported eventual compensation or debt repayment, ...

at a

chandlery A chandlery was originally the office in a wealthy medieval household responsible for wax and candles, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It could be headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only exist ...

. Determined to continue his education, he uses his nine years as a clerk to teach himself subjects such as trigonometry, calculus, Latin, and French. Upon the fulfillment of his servitude, he takes a job as a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

, which quickly evolves into a career as an officer and

supercargo A supercargo (from Spanish ''sobrecargo'') is a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship. The duties of a supercargo are defined by admiralty law and include managing the cargo owner's trade, selling the merchandi ...

on various merchant ships. Numerous voyages take him to ports around the world and sometime into brushes with the wars being fought by the newly founded United States. In his duties as a navigator, he discovers that many of the references available contain dangerous errors, and he is compelled to compile a new book of

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

al data. His experiences educating crew members serving under him allow Nat to supplement his numeric tables with information that allow sailors with limited educations to learn the trade of navigation. Eventually Nat becomes a captain and faces his greatest navigational challenge of all.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' called the book "A readable biography of the man who was scarcely out of his teens before he had written the authoritative book on navigation still used at Annapolis". In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1956 to 1965, librarian Carolyn Horovitz wrote of ''Carry On, Mr. Bowditch'', ''

Rifles for Watie ''Rifles for Watie'' is a children's novel by American writer Harold Keith. It was first published in 1957, and received the Newbery Medal the following year. Set during the American Civil War, the plot revolves around the fictional sixteen-yea ...

'', ''

The Witch of Blackbird Pond ''The Witch of Blackbird Pond'' is a children's novel by American author Elizabeth George Speare, published in 1958. The story takes place in late-17th century New England. It won the Newbery Medal in 1958. Plot summary In April 1687, 16-year-o ...

'' and ''

The Bronze Bow ''The Bronze Bow'' is a book by Elizabeth George Speare that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1962 in literature, 1962. Plot This book is set in first century Galilee, Galilee, Israel. The main character ...

'': "All have value, all are told skilfully. If they lack the qualities of greatness, it is largely because their style has a commercial sameness."

References

{{Newbery Medal 1955 American novels Newbery Medal–winning works American children's novels American historical novels Children's historical novels Biographical novels Novels about mathematics Houghton Mifflin books 1955 children's books Children's books set in Massachusetts Children's books set in the 18th century

Plot summary

Reception

Further reading

References