• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 4

Ghosts of the Pacific, the fourth volume in the best-selling Submarine Outlaw series, begins with Alfred and his crew of Seaweed the seagull and Hollie the dog undertaking a harrowing journey through the icy gauntlet of the Northwest Passage on the way to the South Pacific. Alfred wants to see those dark places of the earth where horrendous events have taken place. He sets his sights on exotic Micronesia — a beautiful place, but home to the nuclear testing of Bikini Lagoon; the Suicide Cliffs of Saipan; the airfields of Tinian, where the Enola Gay lifted off with the atomic bomb; and the Marshall Islands, which may conceal secrets to the mystery of Amelia Earhart's final days. Yet even with these past tragedies in mind, Alfred discovers that the world is facing an even greater threat today. As they sail into the hot, hazy world of the Pacific, they encounter the ruthless killing practices of shrimp trawlers and an island of plastic the size of Texas. Along the way, Alfred, Hollie and Seaweed befriend the crew of an environmental protection ship, who help to inspire him to take on a new goal: to protect the oceans of the world.

Philip Roy continues to travel back and forth between Nova Scotia and Ontario, keeping residence in both places. For some half-dozen years now, he has been presenting orally a series of stories at local schools, fairs, and markets called “Happy the Pocket Mouse.” The first of the series, Mouse Tales, illustrated by Andrea Torrey Balsara, will be released by Ronsdale Press in spring 2014. This series of picture books complements Philip’s “Submarine Outlaw” series for young adults, which is now up to volume six. Recently he travelled to Australia to research the materials for the next book in the series, Eco Warrior, to appear in the fall of 2014. Travelling makes for great adventure, Philip contends. The only thing better is writing about it and visiting schools and libraries to share the stories with young readers. Visit Philip Roy’s website at www.philiproy.ca

Philip Roy's profile page

• Runner-up, Green Book Festival
• Runner-up, New England Book Festival
• Short-listed, Hackmatack Award

“[Ghosts of the Pacific] will capture the heart of any explorer, environmentalist, adventurer or history buff. A must for any classroom library, and a real treat for the avid readers in your school!” — Canadian Teacher Magazine

“Roy’s writing keeps getting better and better. He has a fun, original concept. Ghosts of the Pacific is a page-turning adventure with depth. Roy has done his research, and he has a brilliant plot device with which to work. Alfred is a thoughtful, practical, sympathetic narrator. The book is packed with information—geographical, historical, political—but it never feels didactic . . . an excellent series to have in the classroom. Suspenseful, exciting, thought-provoking and fun . . . for any age. Highly recommended!” — CM Magazine

“This is an award-winning series that will appeal to young readers, particularly boys who are drawn to adventure stories. . . . Readers who follow the entire series will see real growth in Alfred as a character—from a single-minded fourteen-year-old who just wants to explore to a sixteen-year-old world traveler who has learned the beauty and dangers of the sea, witnessed firsthand man’s destruction of the oceans, and pledges to do something about it by becoming an environmentalist.” — VOYA Magazine

“Like a great adventure, Ghosts of the Pacific does not allow the reader the opportunity to be distracted or bored. . . . The plot is relentless, always enriched with unexpected subplots, steeped in a multifaceted landscape of cold and warmth, hardness and softness.” — CanLit for Little Canadians

“[Ghosts of the Pacific] will draw in boys as well as girls, and perhaps even reluctant readers as Roy’s writing is clean and simple while the story is gripping and full of adventure.” — Resource Links

Ghosts of the Pacific

It has been two years and four gripping novels since our intrepid, 16-year-old adventurer, Alfred, set out to explore the world in his submarine with a faithful dog and seagull crew. Departing from Newfoundland on this latest journey, his fascination with investigating “the dead and ghostly things” of the Pacific Ocean leads him through Canada’s icy Northwest Passage and then to the World War II areas of the South Pacific. An Inuit elder’s warning that, “The sea is dying”, foreshadows horrifying encounters with the massive Pacific floating island of plastic garbage and as nuclear bomb debris, as well as shrimp trawlers that violently ravage the sea. Fortunately, Alfred gains inspiration from the crew of an environmental protection vessel and adopts a new mission to help save the oceans.

This is the fourth story in the author’s Submarine Outlaw Series, which has won two Canadian awards.

Ghosts of the Pacific (Submarine Outlaw)

Alfred takes his homemade submarine through the Northwest Passage and on to the South Pacific, where he encounters ruthless shrimp trawlers, an environmental-protection ship and a floating circus. Learning that the Pacific is a weird and wondrous place, Alfred decides he must take heed of the Inuit elder’s warning that the sea is dying and he must take a stand. Book Four in the series.

A Terrific Tale of Adventure!

by Isabella

I've read the entire Submarine Outlaw series with my children, and Ghosts of the Pacific, the fourth novel in the series, just might be our favourite. But it's hard to say, and that's because Roy's fifth book in the series (Outlaw in India) is a real contender, too. So what makes this novel so special? Well, for one thing, Philip Roy's love for animals and his concern for the environment is palpable. My kids (and I) really identify with this. And it's also filled with adventure. And history, too, lots of fascinating details about World War II. Then Roy also created this terrific character named Cinnamon, who is a trapeze artist. Cinnamon is Al's age, and she's part of a travelling (floating!) circus. My girls loved how strong and resilient Cinnamon was as a character. And then, how many world explorers get to have face-to-face encounters with polar bears, and also spend time with Inuits? (Al travels to the South Pacific vis-a-vis the Northwest Passage, so that's a really interesting part of the book, too!) This book has rightfully been nominated for the Hackamatack Award in Atlantic Canada. (Alright, it probably is my favourite in the series--but again, it's hard to say!)

Ghosts of the Pacific Reviews

by reviewposter

“Roy’s writing keeps getting better and better. He has a fun, original concept. Ghosts of the Pacific is a page-turning adventure with depth. Roy has done his research, and he has a brilliant plot device with which to work. Alfred is a thoughtful, practical, sympathetic narrator. The book is packed with information—geographical, historical, political—but it never feels didactic….an excellent series to have in the classroom. Suspenseful, exciting, thought-provoking and fun…for any age. Highly recommended!” –CM Magazine

“This is an award-winning series that will appeal to young readers, particularly boys who are drawn to adventure stories and the technical elements of sea travel….Readers who follow the entire series will see real growth in Alfred as a character —from a single-minded fourteen-year-old who just wants to explore to a sixteen-year-old world traveler who has learned the beauty and dangers of the sea, witnessed firsthand man’s destruction of the oceans, and pledges to do something about it by becoming an environmentalist.” —VOYA Magazine

“Like a great adventure, Ghosts of the Pacific does not allow the reader the opportunity to be distracted or bored….The plot is relentless, always enriched with unexpected subplots, steeped in a multifaceted landscape of cold and warmth, hardness and softness.” —CanLit for Little Canadians

“[Ghosts of the Pacific] will draw in boys as well as girls, and perhaps even reluctant readers as Roy’s writing is clean and simple while the story is gripping and full of adventure.” —Resource Links

Ghosts of the Pacific Review

by Olivia

I loved this book, particularly for its environmental themes. I also really enjoyed how Alfred is becoming more and more aware of the problems in the world. Al's new friend, Cinnamon, also added a dash of "spice" to the series. The series just gets better and better!