When Capt James Cook made his famous voyage of discovery on the Endeavour from 1768 to 1771, the records show the presence on board of an individual described as "Nicholas Young, boy". This simple designation intrigued writer Karen Hesse, who found out what she could about the child who witnessed the British claiming of the Australian continent. It was not much, but her fertile imagination and historical records provided the rest. The result is a charming book for older children and adults, written as Nick's journal during the famous voyage in which the serious-minded Captain attempted to map the transit of Venus, nearly perished on the Great Barrier Reef, and decided the cultural fates of Australia and New Zealand. Nick, to Hesse, is the son of a gentleman but proved so recalcitrant at his studies that he was removed from school and apprenticed to a butcher. This person was cruel to the boy, who took manners into his own hands at the age of 11 and stowed away, with the help of some sailors whom he bribed with stolen money. He earned his place among the crew of the Endeavour, and Hesse describes his journey in a simple but lyrical period style.