Benton Johnson and the Tale of Tu'i Malila, Part 1: Volume 1

"I intend to send you boys anywhere in the world you want to go." "Anywhere? "Sure, sure, anywhere." Benton is going on an adventure with his fellow Junior Discoverers, the scientifically inclined version of the Boy Scouts, setting sail on a guided voyage off the coast of South America. He had suggested South America in memory of his mother, who had been on a marine expedition a year earlier and had been lost at sea. Mr. Jacobs, a benevolent former Junior Discoverer, had decided to award the boys with the trip of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the troop of Junior Discovers has been taken over by the laziest, meanest man in town, Mr. Byle, and his good-for-nothing, trouble-making son, Tobias. Mr. Byle exchanges the boat, captain, and crew for a far less seaworthy setup so he can pocket the majority of the donated funds. After being relentlessly bullied by his shipmates, who were hooligans by nature, Benton ends up falling overboard and experiences more adventure than he could have ever anticipated!