Thunder from the Sea — Jeff Weigel

Illustrated in comic-book format with detailed informational sidebars, this high-concept hybrid is a fast-paced action-adventure--like a Patrick O'Brian novel for kids!

Jack Hoyton is just a boy when he enlists in the Royal Navy and is assigned to the HMS Defender, a midsized frigate defending the British Isles from invasion by the French emperor Napoleon. Little could have prepared him for the hard work and danger of life on the high seas, or for the strict military discipline aboard the ship during wartime. While blockading a French port, the crew of the Defender gets into more trouble than they planned for when they are betrayed during an excursion ashore. It is up to Jack to free his imprisoned shipmates and warn the Defender that they are headed into a deadly trap!