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    Navigating Early
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    Navigating Early
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    Navigating Early
    Audiobook7 hours

    Navigating Early

    Written by Clare Vanderpool

    Narrated by Robbie Daymond, Mark Bramhall and Cassandra Campbell

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    "Just the sort of book that saves lives by igniting a passion for reading." -James Patterson

    "Reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn." -The Wall Street Journal

    A Michael L. Printz Honor Winner

    From the author of Newbery Medal winner Moon Over Manifest comes the odyssey-like adventure of two boys' incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail.

    When Jack Baker's father sends him from his home in Kansas to attend a boys' boarding school in Maine, Jack doesn't know what to expect. Certainly not Early Auden, the strangest of boys. Early keeps to himself, reads the number pi as a story, and refuses to accept truths others take for granted. Jack, feeling lonely and out of place, connects with Early, and the two become friends.

    During a break from school, the boys set out for the Appalachian Trail on a quest for a great black bear. As Jack and Early travel deeper into the mountains, they meet peculiar and dangerous characters, and they make some shocking discoveries. But their adventure is only just beginning. Will Jack's and Early's friendship last the journey? Can the boys make it home alive?

    An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
    An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book
    A New York Times Editor's Choice
    A New York Times Bestseller
    An Indie Pick
    A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
    A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
    A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
    A Booklist Books for Youth Editors' Choice Selection
    A BookPage Best Children's Book
    A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
    A Notable Children's Book in Language Arts Book
    A Down East Magazine Best of Maine Book
    A North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List Selection
    An Iowa Children's Choice Award Finalist

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 8, 2013
    ISBN9780385361057
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Navigating Early

    4/5

    196 ratings33 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A boy named John moves to Main after his mother dies, he believes it is his fault when he meets another boy named Early. He becomes friends with the autistic boy. Early helps him when it comes to rowing, and the go on an adventure together. John remembers his sayings from his Mom, and Early tells him the story of Pi. They end up in the same position Pi was in during his expirences. Early believes if Pi is alive than his Brother is. I believe this was a very good book, in fact the best book i've ever read. It was very interesting. I love the story of Pi inside the book. It is like two stories at once. I would highly reccomend someone else read this book. Again, I loved it.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the book, but I don't think that it is one that I can successfully "sell" to my students.
    • 4/5

      Loved it from start to finish.
    • 3/5
      I recommend this book for people interested in the emotional life of kids growing up in the U. S. during World War II. The story is about relationships and a series of brave choices made by the two main characters who are young teenage boys at a boarding school. One mourns his mother's recent death and waits for his father to return from the war. The other boy, Early, is an orphan who searches for his older brother, a solider. Both have a hard time trusting each other and adults. The chapters of the story alternate with a story Early tells about a hero who is lost. The author's endnotes are very detailed and reveal that Early's character was crafted to have attributes of a person on the autism spectrum.
    • 2/5
      Just over halfway through I'm giving up. I just can't seem to get pulled into this story as much as I tried.
    • 2/5
      middlegrade fiction; post-WW2 boarding school/autistic characters/unique boyhood friendships. I've not read Moon over Manifest and only got to page 110 or so of this one, but I expected... I dunno, something else. It wasn't bad, just didn't hit it off with me. I didn't care for the allegorical Pi stories and had trouble identifying with any of the characters or situations, though I don't have trouble with other books that deal with similar underlying themes. I also really didn't buy into Jackie's voice as a 13-year-old boy--for some reason kept picturing a tomboyish girl (or any girl that grows up on a farm, really), or even a bookish girl.
    • 3/5
      I recognize the artful writing, but personally I didn't enjoy the book. I think I wanted it to be realistic but the happenings were a little far fetched for me. I liked the way the author tied everything together. I especially liked this quote from Jack's mom, "Our stories are ll intertwined. It's just a matter of connecting the dots."
      I can see this as a Newbery book, but not one students will enjoy.
    • 5/5
      Wow... I don't usually like books with magic realism but I really enjoyed this one.
    • 3/5
      If "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving and "The Odyssey" by Homer had a baby, it would be "Navigating Early".Like Owen Meany, Early Auden is an exceptionally odd kid, who is very smart, and always seems to know things that you wouldn't expect him to. And he becomes the narrator's best friend when he heads off to a Maine boarding school for boys after his mother dies. But soon into the book, Jackie and Early leave the school to go on a quest of Early's, with Jack just tagging along much of the time. And here the similarity to Odyssey appears. The quest involves a number of strange encounters with people in the Maine woods. Some good people, some bad people, all eccentric people. One of Early's eccentricities is that he sees stories in strings of numbers. He is convinced that the number pi tells a story, and that his brother - who died in the recently ended World War II, is still alive and has been following a similar story to the one he has concocted for Pi. And this is where I took the most issue with the book. To accept that the real life events on the quest and in Early's bother's life paralleled his adventure story interpretation of the number pi... it was just a bit too much for me to swallow. The book wrapped up nicely, but I didn't find this one anywhere close to as good as Vanderpool's "Moon Over Manifest".
    • 4/5
      Now, THIS is "The Life of Pi" - or at least a STORY about Pi - the REAL Pi. I had a great time reading Vanderpool's charmingly imaginative book. It's listed as youth category - but don't let that stop you. A good thing about my eLibrary is that books aren't segregated to different sections of the library. I wouldn't be looking in the non-adult shelves. But how goofy to have just finished Martel's book (so that I could watch the movie)- and then, looking for something new in the elibrary, this was on the first row of "newly added" with an interesting cover. Didn't really notice the comment on "pi", thus the weirdness of having just finished one with the "title" and now one with "the story". Fascinating!
      The character, Early, reminds of Christopher in "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" - a little too loud and a little too literal - someone you simply have to love.
    • 4/5
      Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool David Ziegler's review Feb 01, 14 4 of 5 stars bookshelves: adventure, animals, coming-of-age, family, friendship, humor, kids-fiction Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool tells an Odyssey-like adventure of two troubled boys' incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail where they deal with pirates, dangerous animals, buried secrets, coming of age, and extraordinary encounters.Jack Baker finds himself whisked away from his Kansas home by his military officer father to a Maine boarding school, after the death of his mother at the end of World War II. Jack is drawn to Early Auden, a very strange boy, who reads the numbers of Pi as an unending story. Early refuses to believe the accepted truths about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber rattlesnakes, and the death of the legendary school hero, "The Fish."Finding themselves alone during school break, they start a quest to search for the Great Appalachian Bear. They meet strange characters, all somehow lost, and each a part of the pi story Early relates.Vanderpool weaves her story skillfully as blends her diverse topics of friendship, loss, adventure, boarding schools, family, and much more with both depth and subtlety. While at times the story moves slowly, it interconnects the various themes. I enjoyed the humor and the character development. At first I was confused by the story of pi, but grew to enjoy and appreciate it. Some may feel that coincidence plays too large a part in the story, but it produces a very emotionally satisfying conclusion. Others may feel that this is a book adults will appreciate more than children. I feel that children and adults will enjoy it: if they give it the time it need they should find the journey rewarding. I give this well crafted, multilayered tale of gaining ones' bearings 4 stars. Fans of well crafted stories and of Clare Vanderpool should find this story moving.
    • 5/5
      Ms. Vanderpool is one of my new favorite YA authors, managing to snag my loyalty despite the fact that the two books I have read by her are both historical fiction - not one of my favorite genres. But the history in this novel isn't the texture and feel but rather the setting for the real story which is that of grieving and friendship - two themes that are always timely. The relationship between Jack and Early is by turns funny and poignant. The adventure that they embark on seems fairly fantastical in 2015 but more likely in 1945.
    • 4/5
      By the time I finished this book I realized it reminded me so much of Holes by Louis Sachar. Two boys, hardships, parallel stories, and reunions are some of the features they have in common. However, there is no playfulness in this story.Jack Baker comes to the Morton Hill Academy for Boys after his mother dies. Since his father, a Navy captain, has to return to sea, so Jackie is brought here instead of other family. He meets Early Auden, a strange boy who doesn't attend many classes and lives in custodian rooms in the basement. During a break from school the two boys back up a few supplies and steal a scull from the boathouse to explore up the Kennebec River. Along the way, Early relates stories about a boy named Pi and shows an unusual way of understanding the irrational number, pi. Oddly enough, some of the events in the stories parallel what they encounter on their trip and Jackie and the reader are curious how this can be.This story started off a little slow but gathered momentum with the rowing. The reader becomes invested in their story and safety along the way.
    • 4/5
      This is a historical fiction/adventure story about a lonely boy and another boy who is seen as an outcast. It also involves the number "pi"!
    • 4/5
      After his mother's death near the end of World War II, Jack's naval officer father sends him from the family home in Kansas to boarding school in Maine. There, Jack faces meeting new people and new situations, finding it difficult to fit in. Then he meets an unusual boy named Early, who has some very unusual and definite opinions. Jack joins Early on a quest in the Maine woods to locate Early's older brother, who was declared dead in the war.
    • 4/5
      After Jack Baker's mother dies, his military father uproots him from the Kansas town where he's lived all his life and places him in a boarding school in Maine. There, Jack almost unintentionally befriends Early Auden, a quirky outsider kid with a fixation on the number pi. When a visit with his father during a school holiday falls through, Jack sets off with Early on an epic quest to find a savage grizzly bear, Early's dead brother, and some missing digits from the calculation of pi (it's complicated).I actually liked this book better than I thought I would. It has a lot going on -- it starts out as a historical fiction/boarding school story and morphs into a survival/adventure tale, and there's a mythic element scattered throughout as Early tells the story that he alone can read in the digits of pi. Perhaps because of the multiplicity of elements, the pacing is slow but steady. Mathematicians are not going to like the cavalier treatment pi gets in the story, though that element did not bother me all that much. Early is one of several kids in this year's crop of juvenile fiction who would probably fall on the autism spectrum if he were around today, and Jack over-uses the phrase "that strangest of boys" when describing him, which did get on my nerves a bit. I could also entertain arguments about how the pieces all fall together way too conveniently in the ending, though I bought it at the time -- only after reading did I start to think about some of the book's potential flaws. I think it's a book that's going to appeal to a particular sort of reader, one who enjoys a chewy sort of book that gives them a lot to think about, and takes a while to read.
    • 5/5
      This book was fantastic and I have a hard time believing it's meant for junior readers. Thematically, it's compelling and complex and interweaves stories within stories. Jack is uprooted from Kansas to a boarding school in Maine when his mother dies. While there he befriends another eighth grader the bewilderingly weird, Early, who convinces Jack that they need to go on a quest in the wilderness to find the great Appalachian Grizzly Bear and find Early's lost (ie dead in the war) brother. Jack and Early embark on an amazing quest that neither of them could have ever anticipated. Set during the end of World War II this book will move you. A truly fantastic journey of two young boys facing inner demons and harsh realities of a cruel world. An uplifting and inspiring read.
    • 4/5
      You have to look for the things that connect us all. Find the ways our paths cross, our lives intersect, and our hearts collide.

      This is a rich, complex, and extremely fine-crafted novel for the middle grade reader. That being the case, it might not be accessible to all listeners: there is simply so much to take in and, ultimately, readers need to suspend disbelief and simply allow Vanderpool to take them on this seemingly impossible adventure.

      It truly begs to be read aloud. Math teachers, in particular, will want to pick this one up. The story of Pi will bring to life that irrational number that equally fascinates and confounds.
    • 5/5
      I loved this just as much as I loved her first one. Authors note at the end was great too. The characters were interesting and I loved watching their relationships grow and develop and how everything worked out.
    • 3/5
      Jack is enrolled in a private school in Maine, by his father, after the sudden death of his mother. Dealing with grief and being the new kid in school, Jack walks a fine line, trying to fit in. In class, he notices an unusual boy, Early Auden, who makes sudden and brief appearances in math class. Sparked by curiosity, Jack decides to learn more about Early. The mysterious boy becomes an unlikely friend, and both find themselves on a journey that might answer deeply rooted questions, held by both boys.
    • 3/5
      This is a 2014 Long Star selection. If you like Life of Pi, you’ll like this book although I would say the book is essentially realistic fiction.Jack Baker is excited that WWII is winding down and his dad will be home soon. Before the happy homecoming can occur, Jack’s mom suddenly dies. When dad returns, he doesn’t really remember how to be a dad after being a soldier. He enrolls him in Morton Hill Academy in Cape Fealty, Maine. Moving from Kansas where all his friends are so soon after his mom dies makes life uncertain for Jack. One of the first people he sees is Early on the beach.As Jack adjusts to his new life, he makes attempts to make friends but notices that Early is an anomaly. Early may be in class or he may not. He may leave in the middle of class if he disagrees with the teacher. No one says anything to him. Early is obsessed with Pi and has an entire story to go with the numbers. He decides that during holiday, he will go on an adventure to find Pi who is lost. Jack goes with him because he has nowhere else to go. It’s on their adventure that Jack learns to navigate Early to keep him safe and to find the truth about Early.Once again, if you like Life of Pi type of stuff, you’ll like this novel. It’s clever, inventive, and well-written.
    • 4/5
      Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool is the story of the friendship that develops between the new boy from Kansas, Jack, and Early, the strange, outcast boy, at a Maine boy’s boarding school. Both boys are dealing with life’s darker side as Jack has recently lost his mother and Early; his brother who was lost at war. Today it would be known that Early is located on autism spectrum but this book is set in 1945, and Early is simply classed as “weird”. This YA story captures both the joy and magic of childhood along with the harder life lessons that are part of growing up.The author explores the themes of friendship, loss and learning about oneself in this mythical adventure story. As Early isn’t convinced that his brother really died, he and Jack set out to the Appalachian Trail on a quest to find him and the Great Appalachian Bear. Thus the two boys embark upon an adventure that helps both of them come to terms with life and loss. I had a couple of small quibbles with the book, I didn’t find the lifestyle of Early entirely believable. I do not think any boy at a boarding school would be allowed to live such a separate life, coming and going as he pleased and attending classes when it suited him. Secondly, I thought the plot was little contrived and simple which kept me from totally buying into the story.This is however a beautifully written story about children that are dealing with grief and loss. Each boy has dark issues but the support and care they get from each other helps them back on the path toward acceptance and maturity. The relationship between these two boys makes Navigating Early a rewarding read and I need to remember that this is a book targeted at children not grumpy old ladies.
    • 3/5
      Jack's a little lost at the moment. After his mother died, Jack's father relocates them from Kansas to Maine and plunks Jack down in boarding school. Still reeling from his losses, Jack has trouble making friends until he gets to know a strange boy named Early Auden who believes that the number pi tells a story that will guide him to find his older brother (who was killed in the war). When a leading mathematician predicts that the number pi will eventually end, Early and Jack set out on a quest to "find Pi". Along the way they get caught up with pirates, meet a lovesick Norseman, hang out with a hundred-year-old lady, and chase down a bear. It's hard for me to know what to think about this story, actually, because it was pretty odd. I enjoyed the audiobook, which is nicely voiced by narrator Robbie Daymond. The bits with Pi's story are narrated by Mark Bramhall in a fittingly austere manner, like grandpa's sitting down and telling you a story. I guess I liked it? It's hard for me to think about who's the best audience for this book. It's definitely slower paced, a book you can sit down and sink into, but it is also an adventure story and a survival story.
    • 5/5
      Captivating story of two young boys on an adventure to find the great Appalachian Bear, timber snakes and one of the boys long lost brother. Had to put it down once you start.
    • 4/5
      Seriously good but a very sophisticated read, contemplating adding this to Middle School library. This would be wonderful read aloud to year 6s later in the year.
    • 5/5
      Navigating Early is an amazing tale of self awareness. This is the second book I've read by Clare Vanderpool and she hasn't disappointed me yet. The story takes place at a boarding school in Maine where Jack Baker has been sent after his mother's death. Jack who is from Kansas has trouble fitting in with his more nautical classmates and is quite lonely at school. He meets Early Auden in one of his classes and the two strike up a friendship. Early is a mathematical genius who can compute difficult math problems in his head and who views the number pi as a story. If this book took place in 2013 rather than 1944 Early would have probably have been diagnosed as having some form of autism. Jack and Early embark on a journey along the Appalachian Trail which helps them learn more about themselves and each other. The writing is beautiful and the story well researched. This is one of my favorite books of 2013. I highly recommend this book to others!
    • 4/5
      After her debut novel Moon Over Manifest won the 2011 Newbery, there was much buzz about Vanderpool’s second novel, Navigating Early. I imagine, for an author, it can be intimidating to have your breakout novel to win the Newbery. How do you top that? Fortunately, it doesn’t seem as if Vanderpool let this hold her back… Navigating Early is another wonderful work of fiction.

      This is historical fiction, but there’s also a timeless feel. The post-WWII time frame serves as a backdrop, but the emotions and growth experienced by the characters could take place at just about any time. At the onset of the story, we meet Jack. Jack’s mother has recently died, and his father, a Naval officer, has headed back out to see, shipping Jack off to remote all-male boarding school in Maine. Here, everything is different, and Jack doesn’t quite fit in. He’s a misfit in every sense of the word.

      And then he meets Early.

      Early, who doesn’t live in the dorms, but instead in an old custodial closet. Early, who collects odd newspaper clippings and listens to old records on a phonograph. Early, who lives at the school…but doesn’t attend any of the classes. Early is a true misfit. (Have you ever seen A Beautiful Mind?)

      It’s through Early that Vanderpool introduces a parallel story, that of Pi. It’s Early who tells Pi’s tale, using a mathematical formula that only Early seems to be able to understand. Pi’s story is that of a boy who sets out to find his own adventure and earn his name, finding much more than he bargained for. In Early’s mind, his story is intertwined with Pi’s and he convinces Jack to embark on an adventure of their own. From this point onward, Vanderpool writes two adventure stories: Early and Jack’s, and Pi’s. The stories weave in and out of each other in a way that should be confusing (and, to be honest, was a little bit in the beginning), but remain distinct from each other. The stories are both about physical journeys, but moreover, they’re stories about pain, confusion, enlightenment, and healing for all 3 boys.

      Navigating Early is masterfully crafted, once you fall into the rhythm of the stories. On the surface, it’s an adventure tale, but there’s so many more levels to be explored. Recommended for both home and classroom, as a read aloud or independently.
    • 4/5
      I'm so glad that I read this book. It is a sweet and lovely story of Early Auden (that strangest of boys) and Jack Baker (the son of a WWII naval captain), as they go on a quest right after the end of World War II. They are each searching for different things. In our time, Early would be called an autistic savant. He was obsessed with the number pi - the numbers told him a story of a boy named Pi. The story of Pi is interwoven with the story of the boys. It sounds confusing, but it is woven together seamlessly. The boys have many adventures that mirror the adventures of Pi. This book is moving and uplifting. I didn't quite want to hug the book when I was done, but it was close.Areas of concern: No language, no sexual situations. Wilderness adventures that talk of a man who lost an eye in a fight with a bear, and another man who was burned and scarred. A boy gets shot and killed.
    • 4/5
      Ages 10 and up. A modern day fairy tale set in Maine on the Appalachian TRail Jack Backer is transplanted from his home in Kansas to a boarding school in Maine. He develops a friendship with Early Auden a strange boy who unders Pi.
    • 4/5
      Everyone that reads my blog/reviews regularly knows that this is not the type of book I usually read. But I've been wanting to read more award winners, and though this book has not won an award yet, the author has won a Newbery for her other book. This was her second novel, and I found the blurb fascinating, so I went ahead and requested it for review. I'm always trying to review more middle-grade books too because most of the ones I have read I have adored.This book was wonderful. It is written in a completely simple style with a voice that feels exactly like a pre-teen boy. It is fresh and new and original and everything I am always looking for in a book. If you have sons and daughters (but especially sons because I think this book will particularly resonate with them), PLEASE give them this book.Early Auden was just such a special, special character. I can't tell you much about his quirks or his personality, not because it is a spoiler, but really because I think it is something best discovered by the reader. He is unusual, hilarious, and endearing. I completely fell for who he is and the person he grew to be. You want to believe with him and you want to trust that what he says will happen, but it is hard to have faith in a child that doesn't seem like he has any sense of direction. But sometimes, those are the best people to follow because they will make you see life in a new way that you had not noticed before.I don't think that this is a book for everyone, and I think some readers are going to come out wondering what the point of it all was. But I think the main point is to never lose hope. Sometimes miracles can happen. And sometimes, when we are not strong enough, it is okay to let yourself be rescued by someone that loves you and still believes in your strength. Even when you fail. Relationships are important. Deep connections with people are important. The journey is more important than the end result sometimes.Navigating Early is a historical novel that never really feels all that historical. So if you generally shy away from that genre, don't worry about that here. There are a couple of mentions of WWII, but this book is about the adventure, about the journey, and the two boys that are on it.If I can complain about one thing, it's that I felt the ending was a little anti-climactic for me. What happened was a complete shocker for me. I totally didn't see it coming--in hindsight, I should have, but I didn't--and yet it left me feeling flat and not as emotional as I feel I should have felt. Like most books lately, it just failed to connect with me in the end. All the way through the novel I was totally there in the moment with the characters and flipping those pages like mad. But then I was let down a little. I totally would have given this 5 stars if I had felt differently. I really loved this book. I still do, I was just a little bummed.But you know what? It is what it is. It's still an awesome read. My ratings have been really low this year, and I've been disappointed with a lot of the new releases that have come out. But this book was completely worth my time. The characters really opened my heart and the story made me see middle-grade in a new way. I think I need to read more books like this. And if the blurb interests you, definitely pick this one up.