Journey to the River Sea

Infobox Book |
name = Journey to the River Sea
author = Eva Ibbotson


image_caption =
illustrator = Kevin Hawkes
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Children's Adventure novel
publisher = Macmillan Children's Books
release_date = 2001
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 298 pp
isbn =

"Journey to the River Sea " is an adventure novel written by Eva Ibbotson in an attempt to share her vision of the River Amazon.

Plot summary

The story takes place in the year 1910

"I know exactly how Cinderella felt like!" Maia said

Maia is an orphan living in the Mayfair Academy for Young Ladies in England. However, word comes from Mr. Murray, a lawyer, that he had found her relatives that were willing to take her in, called the Carters. Along with a governess, Miss Minton, Maia goes by sea to Manaus, Brazil. On the ship, she meets a boy named Clovis King, who is traveling with his adoptive parents. He wishes to go back to England,with his foster mother, but the Goodleys (the acting troop) won't let him. Maia promises that she will go and see his play once she arrives in Brazil.

The Carters aren't as kind as she had hoped for. Beatrice and Gwendolyn, the twins, seem to be strictly British and not the least bit active. So when time comes to see Clovis's play in the town, the twins had lied that all the tickets had sold out and they had not bought one for her. But Maia wants to see Clovis so much , and she secretly slips into the theatre. He was acting very well, but in the most important part, his voice cracked and the play was ruined. Now, the Goodleys won't even give Clovis money.

Later, Maia meets a half-native, half-british boy called Finn Taverner. Men, who Maia nicknames "The Crows", were chasing him because his grandfather had wanted to be the heir of Westwood, the estate of the wealthy Taverner family. Finn doesn't want to go, for he is willing to travel up the Amazon to where an Indian tribe called the Xanti live. Afterwards, Clovis meets Finn, too, and Maia suggests that they swap positions because Clovis wants to go back to England and Maia wants to stay. Clovis will pretend to be Finn Taverner and become the heir to Westwood, while Finn will venture the River Sea, which the Amazon is called. The swapping is successful, and for a while, everything seems to be going fairly well. But then one day, Miss Minton disappears, for a Russian family had asked her to become her governess. And while she is gone, a fire starts in the Carters's home. The Carters are sent to the hospital, but Maia had escaped on her own and had boarded Finn's boat, the "Arabella" to embark onbobob an adventure she had hoped for. Miss Minton and her friend, Professor Glastonberry, chase after them by boat as well. All four of them end up in a Xanti tribe. For quite a time, they lived with the Indians, and they were very civilized people, unlike what most people in Manaus had said. However, after the peaceful period of time, a search party arrives and takes them away.

In the end, Maia returns to England, and Finn follows her. Because Maia had loved her life in Brazil so much, Miss Minton arranges matters so that she and Finn will be able to live there official under her care.

Awards

The book won the Nestle Smartie award in 2001. It received a gold medal/award in the category or 9-11 years old. It has also been shortlisted for LA Carnegie Medal 2002, nominated for Whitbread Book of the Year Award (Children's Book Category) in 2001 and Blue Peter Book Award (Book I Couldn't Put Down Prize) in 2002.