Philbrick, Rodman. The young man and the sea

Philbrick, Rodman. The young man and the sea. Blue Sky/Scholastic, 2004 [0-439-36829-4]
Skiff lives alone with his drunken father since his mother died. His father's drinking began when his mother died. His father once was a great fisherman and harpooner. Now their boat has sunk from lack of maintenance. Skiff is teased at school by one of the rich kids at school. When he hears of a contest to catch the biggest fish, Skiff takes their small boat to sea to catch the winning fish. It is a major trial at sea (hence the book title.) Will he catch the fish? With the money to fix the boat will his father face his problems? This 191 page book is a good read.