The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi

A quick read, young-adult novel. The protagonist is an 18th (early 19th?) century thirteen-year-old girl stuck crossing the Atlantic alone on a ship with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew out for revenge. Naturally, she ends up rejecting her stuffy Victorian upbringing, donning sailor's garb and joining the crew. It was a fun, extremely well-written and engaging message of empowerment.