Sperry, Armstrong.
Call it courage. Santa Barabara CA: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers, 2015.
Lexile Level: 830L
Awards: John Newberry Medal in 1941
Note: After reading this book, I’m unsure that I would actively promote
it, as I found it to contain racial stereotyping that may have been
common in 1940, but I do not consider to be appropriate today. The inhabitants of the island on which
Mafatu lands are called “black eaters of men.” While there is a history of fear of cannibalism in the
Pacific Islands by some cultures, it is a racially fueled fear and it should not be perpetuated. I see a need
for an updated retelling of this classic legend.
Selling Tool:
Book Review
Call it Courage is an epic tale of adventure and bravery centering on a little boy named Mafatu.
Growing up on the Polynesian island of Hikueru, Mafatu is teased by the other children for his fear or the
sea. When he was just a baby, his mother died when her boat was overtaken in a storm, and the last
thing she managed to do was to save Mafatu from a similar fate. Mafatu is tired of being a
disappointment to his father, and decides one day to leave the island.
When he sets off in a small boat with his trusty canine companion, Uri, and trailed by a friendly
albatross named Kivi, he doesn’t have any idea what kind of challenges he will soon face. Landing upon a
small island several days’ journey from home, he has to find the courage within to build shelter, find
food, and keep himself alive. With each new obstacle, Mafatu must dig deeper and deeper to find the
will to survive. Will he always be Mafatu, the one who was afraid?
It is easy to see why this story is a legend. If you tried to think of the most horrifying things that
could happen to a boy trying to survive alone in a strange land, this is what happens to Mafatu in Call it
Courage. Armstrong Sperry’s writing style is easy to digest, despite the fact that this book was written
more than 75 years ago. The story of this young, want-to-be-warrior speeds along from one danger to
the next, and will keep you on your toes.
Learning Activity:
Oceanographer for a Day
Mafatu has some close encounters with a lot of marine life during his sojourn.
“Here the water was cool and green. The sunlight filtered from above in long, oblique bands. Painted
fishes fled before him. He saw a giant pahua, a clam shell, five feet across and taller than hi: its open lips
waiting to snap shut upon fish or man. Green fronds waved gently as if in some submarine wind. A
shadow moved above the boy’s head and he glanced upward in alarm: only a sand shark cruising
harmlessly…. An eel, like a cold waving ribbon, touched his leg and was gone.” (Sperry, p75)
Using the technology tool, Biteslide, create an internet poster about marine life. You should focus
on one, multicellular organism. Be sure to include information about its habitat, food sources, and
any adaptive qualities it might have. Your finished Biteslide should include text, an embedded
video, and photos, as well as links that you found helpful in your research.
Learning Standard:
5 Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that
sustains life.
5.1 Compare the way a variety of living
specimens carry out basic life functions
and maintain dynamic equilibrium.
o 5.1a Animals and plants have a
great variety of body plans and
internal structures that
contribute to their ability to
maintain a balanced condition.
(https://www.ixl.com/standards/newyork/science/grade-5)
Learning Goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of sea life.
Learning Outcome: Students will engage in internet research and
demonstrate their knowledge of a multicellular
ocean organism.
Learning Objective: Students will design an interactive online poster
using the technology tool Biteslide.com that
demonstrates their knowledge of a multicellular
organism’s habitat, food sources and adaptive
qualities.
