In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
by Nathaniel Philbrick
Nonfiction · 1010L (~7th–8th grade) · 2014
Why we'd hand it over
Gripping maritime history with unflinching accounts of survival cannibalism; older middle graders and YA readers ready for real stakes will find it riveting, though the desperation is relentless.