Paddle to the Sea
Holling Clancy Holling
© 1941, 1969 Houghton Mifflin Company

A young Indian boy carves a small figure in a canoe, names him “Paddle-to-the-Sea,” and launches him in the melting snow to travel through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. What perils does "Paddle-to-the-Sea" face on his journey? Will he make it to the sea?

Paddle to the Sea was read by Steven Hauck.

Steven made his professional acting debut twenty years ago as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Since then he has appeared in over one hundred stage productions across the United States and Europe.

What do YOU think?

How do you think the little boy felt when he put Paddle-to-the-Sea on the snow bank?

How do you think he felt at the end of the story?

What would you have done if Paddle-to-the-Sea had come ashore near you?

Did the boy gain anything from creating Paddle-to-the-Sea? What?

The little boy set Paddle-to-the-Sea off on an adventure, knowing that he would never see the little Indian in a canoe again. Have you ever done something, knowing you would not gain anything from it?

What was your favorite part of the story?

Did anything surprise you?

Name three things about the Great Lakes region that you didn’t know before reading this book.

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

Test your knowledge of the Great Lakes with this online quiz.

Ready to make your own canoe? This site has free plans to build a 14’canoe as well as a dingy, kayak and others. You’ll definitely need an adult to help! Be sure to e-mail Camel’s Hump Radio a photo of your canoe!

Want to see some of what Paddle-to-the-Sea saw? Check out the webcam on the Detroit River! The Great Lakes Maritime Institute also provides a list of vessels scheduled to travel in the area.

Ever wonder about the ships Paddle-to-the-Sea saw? Remember the shipwreck and how the Coast Guard helped with the rescue? The Coast Guard also works to keep the waterways safe by maintaining navigational aids, or buoys. Check out this website for a new photo each week of a ship that travels the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Here’s another webcam to check out! This one gives you a view of the Soo Locks.

Paddle-to-the-Sea inspired a geocaching fan. He carved a canoe with a travel bug in it and “launched” it on January 1, 2003 in Ohio. From there it traveled nearly 15,000 miles! You can track this modern-day Paddle-to-the-Sea by reading the sightings log. Geocaching is a sport played by gps (global positioning system) users. Basically someone hides a cache (an item in a waterproof container; cache is a hiking/camping term for a place to hide your food and gear) and then shares the location (longitude and latitude) of the cache on the internet. GPS users then try to find the cache. When you find the cache, you’re supposed to take something from the cache, add something of yours to the cache and then sign the cache’s log book, leaving it for the next person to find it; or you hide the cache in a new location and post the coordinates. To learn more about this sport, check out the site’s frequently asked questions page.

Get a map of North America and trace Paddle-to-the-Sea’s journey. Mark down how much time he spent in each area. Jot down a few things you learned about each region. Definitely worth extra points in geography!



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