Karen Hesse. Stowaway. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002. ISBN 978-0689839894 320 pp. $

*****

Hesse makes history so alive in this fictionalized journal based on the voyages of Capt. Cook and his sail ’round the world that you can practically smell the salt air. Whether readers are drawn by the natural history, the adventure, or the diary format, all will become quickly immersed in this richly detailed story about a stowaway on a fantastic voyage.