TheNew York Timesbestselling and National Book Award winningIn the Heart of the Sea,soon to bea major motion picture directed by Ron Howard, adapted by the author for young readers.

On November 20, 1820, the whaleshipEssexwas rammed and sunk by an angry whale. Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with barely any supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America. Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas. Based on hisNew York Timesbest-sellerIn the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fatedEssexthrough the sailors own first-hand accounts, photos, maps, and artwork, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventure stories.

"Horrifyingly engrossing." —Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling saga of desperation and survival."—School Library Journal