This was not near as interesting or pretty as Anne Elizabeth's Diary. The extra material explaining the text was very helpful, but the diarist was not as charming as Anne Elizabeth. For those fascinated by whaling this is a wonderful primary resource nicely annotated. ( )

This series of books is meant for a younger reader. The diary excerpts are real. The historical information presented is very good and written in a way that a younger reader would understand and find interesting. It is interesting to "hear" history from the perspective of a young person who was actually there. ( )