Dick Sands, the Boy Captain

When a whaling accident kills the captain and crew of the schooner Pilgrim, responsibility for the ship and its passengers falls on fifteen-year-old Dick Sand, an orphan raised at sea. He rises to the task with courage, but the treacherous cook secretly tampers with the compass and steers them not toward America but to the coast of Africa. There the survivors are plunged into the horrors of the slave trade, and Dick must lead them through hostile country to safety. Verne fills the tale with natural history and hard-earned nautical detail while mounting a clear attack on slavery. First published in 1878, it remains a rousing adventure for younger readers and their elders alike. This free PDF and EPUB edition includes the full story.