Author
Armstrong Sperry
2 books here

Call It Courage
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 1999
A Newbery-winning survival story that actually earns its courage theme through real peril and self-discovery, not sentimentality — Mafatu's terror is palpable, and his ocean ordeal sticks with kids.
All Sail Set: A Romance of the Flying Cloud
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 820L · 1963
A genuine sea adventure that earns its Newbery Honor through authentic period detail and a protagonist who must navigate both the ocean and his own identity — slower-paced than modern adventure but genuinely gripping.