Young Nate has just left school and found work on the New York, a steamship bound from Saint John to Boston. At first, he delights in his newfound freedom from school, but the work is harder than he expected. When the ship gets caught in the Saxby Gale of 1869, Nate has to draw on his courage to help keep the ship and its passengers safe. When they lose their anchor and then their rudder, he worries that he will never see his family again. Based on a real incident, this adventure story should appeal to ages 9-12 even though it is written at a grade 2-3 reading level.

Stormy Passage is the first book in the Adventure Peak series. The series features high interest adventure stories designed to appeal to struggling middle school readers. The books are written at the grade 2-3 level and are short enough that students are able to finish them before they get discouraged. This boosts their confidence and gives them a positive reading experience that helps to scaffold them up to a longer and more complex book.

Kate Merlin is a former school library worker from Riverview, NB. Her articles have appeared in a variety of national, regional and local publications like YES Mag, Primetime, Small Farm Canada, Atlantic Business Magazine and she was a regular contributor to Come On In Magazine. She is also the author of Trails of Greater Moncton and The Mirror. Her experiences hooking struggling readers on reading with a highly engaging series of short adventure stories written at the grade 2-3 level inspired her to write Stormy Passage.

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