Book Description

There’s bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don’t have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket–exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High–will also be an effective tool. He’s right. He’s also wrong. Still, it’s always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they’ll fight for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment’s inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Whale Talk
Chris Crutcher builds a story about challenging the status quo and finding the common humanity that unites those who believe they are alone in the world. The Tao, or T.J., grows up in Washington where racism dominates the town. T.J. attends Cutter High School where they are known for their respectable athletic program. One of the prize symbols to wear is an athletic jacket earned in a sport. Mike Baubour, a known enemy of T.J., tries to prevent Chris, less fortunate than many, from wearing his dead brother's letter jacket. T.J. fights to organize a male swim team. After he finds his teammates, including Chris, he sets up the criteria for earning a letter. This stirs up controversy among the Athletic Council, and finally come to a conclusion: each swimmer must better there time every meet to earn a letter. T.J.'s determination throughout the novel sets him above the pride of Cutter's athletic program and sets him in each teammates pride. T.J. is determined to achieve success for each one of his teammates, which would equal success to him. This book shows great teamwork, pride, and success when not everything comes easy.

Whale Talk
The book Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher is a wonderful book for all religions and races. That is because in the book T.J. is black, Japanese, and white, but in school he is mostly considered black. One day T.J. spots all-school jock Mike Barbour picking on Chris Coughlin, a retard whose dead brother is the best athlete in the school ever, for wearing his brother Brian's letter jacket. So, T.J. decides that he will get Chris a jacket of his own. He does that be creating a swim team. Meanwhile T.J. is visiting a woman who helps kids with family problems. T.J has become more of a teacher than a student. He gets involved with a father that really dislikes T.J. The daughter adores T.J. so the family, minus the father moves in with them. T.J.'s family continues to get a lot of hang up calls which they know is the father. In the swimming world, T.J. gets 6 unique guys to go out for the team. T.J. is by far the best swimmer. The team gets a practice facility and an interim coach, Icko who lives at the workout place, until the teacher Simet can get permission. Practices are hard, but usefull as the team improves greatly. The team does horrible in the season, except for T.J. who wins the 50 meter and the 100 meter at regoinals. The team keeps on getting questions on weather swimming is a sport which might deny their privilege to a Cutter jacket. The book ends with many controversial decisions made by both sides. I believe the author, Chris Crutcher wrote about the book to teach the world about racism. He wants to show how it is tearing the modern world apart. Whale Talk is a wonderful book for teens and adults. Children should not be allowed to read the book because of some profane language and sexual harasment. They also will not get the idea about racism and prejudice. Teens, on the other hand, will understand the book and it will teach them about modern conflicts. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher is a wonderful for teens and adults.

Got a whale of a tale to tell you friends...
A good book rises above its own premise. Reading a short synopsis of this story without knowing anything about it beyond its plot could easily suggest to the average viewer that it's going to be awful. Think about it. A multi-racial protagonist and his motley crew of rag tag misfits puts together an unlikely swim team and everybody learns a little bit about what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. Bleaugh! That's the kind of After School Special plotting that can get a book seriously ignored by its intended audience. Now I had never read a Chris Crutcher book coming into this. Frankly, I know the man has a reputation for producing darned good books. Then I read "Whale Talk" and found, to my incredible relief, that this was not really a book about a swim team. It's about the circle of abuse and the amount of control an individual has over his or her own actions. It's about hurting other people and what the cost of that can be. In short, the book takes amazingly gigantic themes, renders them bite size, and gives them humanity and humor. It's the humor part that really impressed me.

T.J. Jones (actual name The Tao Jones... pronounce it, I dare you) is probably one of three people of color in his small Washington town. Adopted by his parents when he was a seriously abused toddler, T.J.'s a pretty well put together kid. That's probably in no small part due to his amazing mom and dad and his fantastic (some might say godlike) child therapist, Georgia. Which isn't to say that T.J.'s life is bereft of odd problems. His favorite teacher, Simet, is trying to lure T.J. into helping him start a school swim team. There are a couple problems with this plan. For one thing, T.J. refuses to join any organized sports. Cutter High School is run by and for its jocks. These jocks have been trying for years (unsuccessfully) to get T.J. onto one of their teams. Also, the school has no swimming pool. So T.J. isn't exactly thrilled about the idea of getting roped into this situation until he sees some of the local heavies beating up a mentally handicapped kid because he refuses to stop wearing his dead jock brother's letter jacket. Suddenly our hero has a mission, and the mission is clear. To create a swim team comprised of the kind of guys who otherwise could never be able to get involved in an organized sport. Even better, he's going to get each and every one of them a letter jacket.

This is just the barest of outlines describing this book. T.J. has a lot going on in his life and this includes his father's guilt about accidentally killing a toddler some thirty years before, a girl who tries continually to wash her skin clean of pigment, her psychotic father who is both a wife abuser and T.J.'s enemy, and a team that becomes closer as their problems become clearer. This is truly a book written about a man for men. Which isn't to say that girls won't love this tale, or that it's bereft of strong female characters. In fact, Crutcher is especially good at balancing women who've been abused in the past with their far stronger counterparts. No, when I say that this is a boy book, I'm referring to the fact that the central focus of this story rests squarely on the male swimming team. Sure, T.J. has a girlfriend but her presence in this story is probably just to prove to the viewer that he's a well adjusted guy with a well adjusted gal. Honestly, his relationship is not the focus of this tale. And that's kinda refreshing.

I think what I liked best about this book was that it recognized that behind every crazed idiot, there's a reason they act the way they do. Crutcher isn't the best young adult writer that knows about abuse (that honor belongs squarely to Alex Flinn) but he comes close. A person could learn more from reading this book about the cyclical nature of violence than they would from almost any other source. I'm praising the book beautifully, but it's not without the occasional flaw. Consider, for example, the character of Tay-Roy. This is a bodybuilder that joins the team and has, basically, no real personality. As far as I could determine, everything Tay-Roy does could have been accomplished by T.J. They're similar in every respect, except that Tay-Roy's slightly better looking. It's odd that Crutcher would have kept himself from omitting extraneous characters like this one, but as flaws go, this one's pretty minimal. The worst I can say is that it slightly derails the flow of the text. Big whoop.

What Crutcher has as a writer that puts him heads and tails above and beyond his peers (some, at any rate) is his sense of humor. You cannot dislike a book where the main character is named The Tao Jones. You just can't. I mentioned that I think that Alex Flinn is the all-powerful guru of abused teens, but what Crutcher doesn't have in superior knowledge he makes up for in funnies. I'm sick and tired of all the deadly depressing books out there. If every writer could fill their texts with half as much pleasurable writing as Mr. C, I'd have a heckuva harder time figuring out which book to read next. In the end, "Whale Talk" accomplishes that mighty difficult task of being a good book about a near impossible subject. Abuse. Whether or not you agree that Crutcher wrote about this topic with the correct amount of respect, you have to admit he wrote about it well. I tip my hat to the man who's books I will now have to devour one by one to satiate my now uncontrollable young adult literature craving. Such is life.

english project
Picture your high school's outcasts, the kids no one talks to and no one really knows. Now imagine if you heard that this motley crew was about to become your high school's new varsity swim team. The same kids who are picked last for every team in gym, who has never been seen near the weight room or the track, who are the last people you would imagine wearing your high school letter jackets. Despite his natural athletic ability, the main character T. J. has always shunned Cutter High School's sports teams because, as he says, "something inside me recoils at being told what to do, and that doesn't sit well with most coaches, who are paid to do exactly that." However, when a favorite teacher asks him to help start a swim team at Cutter, T. J. sees an opportunity to turn the school's narrow idea of what an athlete is, privileged, good-looking, white, and male on its head.
Chris Crutcher is an excellent writer that keeps you reading. I could not put the book down. The reason why I liked the book so much is that it is dramatic, had a good conflict and kept me reading. Whale Talk is an awesome book that I would recommend to anyone.

GRIPPING!!!
I recently read Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. It's about a boy, T.J. Jones, who gets together a group of misfits and outcasts to join a swimming team. As usual in Chris Crutcher's books, there's another story behind the sport.
When I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Crutcher grabs you in this story with ways that sometimes you wouldn't think possible or interesting. He puts together real problems, not just he said-she said stuff, but things much more realistic. This book is definitly worth reading!!! ... Read more

Book Description

The inspirational true story of Sammy Lee, a Korean American who overcame discrimination to realize both his father's desire that he become a doctor and his own dream of becoming an Olympic champion diver. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

follow your dreams
This is a biography of Sammy Lee.He was an Olympic gold metalist.Sammy faced lots of prejudice in his life because he was Korean.He was only allowed in public pools on ceratain days.He never let this get him down this make him want to work harder.Before reading this book I had never heard of Sammy Lee.I enjoyed reading his biography.Sammy Lee never gave up on his dreams.He always tried his best.He is a great role model for kids today. ... Read more

Book Description

The Anything You Can Do series is unprecedented in its concept of offering real stories of new heroes to young girls. The premise of the series is to profile a variety of young athletes, from a variety of ethnic, socio-economic, geographical and family backgrounds who have grown up to achieve excellence in Olympic and professional sports. Series Foreword by Julie Foudy, Member U.S. Women's World Cup-Winning Soccer Team Series Introduction by Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Track & Field Superstar and Sports Illustrated for Women's Athlete of the Century ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Inspiring role model
I love this book! It's a great story of how sports can shape your life in a positive way. Swimmers and non-swimmers alike will be inspired by Jenny's story. This great book is now available as an e-book for those of you who can't find a copy of the original printing. You can order here from amazon.com, the isbn is B0001GDOUQ.

How Jenny dealt with the negative peer pressure
Fast Lane To Victory is the third in Wish Publishing's outstanding "Anything You Can Do...New Sports Heroes For Girls" series and the story of swim champion Jenny Thompson. Swimming was what Jenny like best, but when her friends at school started to tease her and call her "tomboy" and "Too Tall Thompson", she felt the pressures placed on a lot of young girls to conform to social norms of what was "proper" for girls. Jenny dealt with the negative peer pressure and became so successful as an athlete that she came to be called the "Fastest Swimmer in the World". Also very highly recommended for school and community library collections are the first two volumes in this superbly presented and inspiring sports oriented series for girls: A Drive To Win: The Story Of Nancy Lieberman (40-8, ...) and Sword Of A Champion: The Story Of Sharon Monplaisir (39-4, ...). ... Read more

Book Description

It was in November, a Thursday after swim practice. The thing with Mr. Tracy, Darren's English teacher.
The thing was how Darren would think of it, afterward.
The thing that was vague and not-named.
The thing that hadn’t happened, anyway.

Darren Flynn has the perfect life -- until that day in November.

After that day, after what happened (did it happen?), life is different. Darren is different. Nothing is as it was –– before. His friends, his family, even the people who are supposed to be in charge are no longer who Darren thought they were. Who can he trust, now?

This compelling, masterfully written novel by acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates explores one teenager's search for identity in a complex, deceiving world, and the answers he finds in the most unexpected places. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

dissapointed
I really didn't enjoy this book. I can't really say why because it will spoil it for some people. I was just very dissapointed and felt the story could have been great.

Excellent Book
I really enjoyed Sexy. Coming from a teacher point of view and former librarian, I would not have titled it "Sexy". I think the book is so much more than it's title but, that is what the parents are going to see and it might inhibit some students from picking up a great book.
The book explores so may aspects of teen turmoil. I loved the ending!!

Wonderful and thought provoking YA effort by Ms. Oates!
I decided to give this book a whirl because I have heard wonderful things about Joyce Carol Oates's Young Adult offerings.Sexy is quite a compelling and thought-provoking novella.When an English teacher is accused of committing a sexual crime, it is up to young Darren to speak in his favor.But Darren is overwhelmed with confusions regarding his sexuality.Darren is quite a popular sixteen-year-old who is part of the swimming team that one of the boys, out of spite for having been flunked, accuses Mr. Tracy of being a pedophile. Darren struggles with his identity and the reader wonders whether or not he is indeed gay.There are various twists throughout the novel.

The novella may seem disjointed at times -- especially toward the end -- but that is because Oates wants you to read between the lines and understand the sort of confusion Darren is going through.The language is remarkable; you feel as though you are having a conversation with the narrator.The language is also quite stark and ambiguous at times, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation.That is the reason why the writing may seem disjointed at times, but this is done on purpose.I was able to feel Darren's loneliness and confusions as though it were my own.His inability to share his insecurities with others spoke volumes.That is what makes Sexy an incredible book that all adolescents, male or female, should read.The novella is thought provoking in more ways than one.Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has wowed me with this effort.This isn't her best book -- her short-story collections are much more literary -- but it is one of the best YA books I have read in a long time.I cannot recommend Sexy enough.

Is Oates the young adult novel's new Cormier?
I love Oates. This time around, I felt like she had picked up where Robert Cormier left off. She's our new Cormier! She explores complex ideas, which is always a reason to put your hands together. In swift, smart strokes, she creates breathing characters. Our hero Darren is no exception. But I'm not convinced she's mastered the art of the short novel (teenage or otherwise). This book is crowded with so much drama that demands further exploration, and you see this in some of the more minor characters. Stereotypical jock friends. Give-themselves-over-too-easily girlfriends. Vacuous parents. School administrators who are like chess pieces in Oates' game of plotting. And a sneaky little subplot about Darren's sexuality that is barely mined, almost as if some editor told Oates she couldn't dig deeper in a young adult novel.

Swimming at the Shallow End of Teen Sexuality Issues
I chose to read this book based on a memory of Ms. Oates powerful short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" since the description on the book jacket seemed to indicate that this would cover similar ground...only with a young male protagonist.

That older short story was an unsettling, haunting look into the world of emerging teen sexuality that produces an effect that only a great writer could.That was Oates at the top of her game and she was able to connect with readers of all ages, creating a powerful impact.

This book however is a "different story" all together.

While the writing is capable and the structure makes for a quick read, there is ultimately little of consequence here.We are confronted with issues that should be taken seriously rather than touched upon lightly.And it would have been very nice to have a little more depth to most of the characters.

Oates relies heavily on our understanding common types of people and situations -- presenting attributes and behaviors of these types rather than giving us fully developed characters.This borders on stereotyping.

In this book, we are presented with tragedy.But the conclusion is sadly weak and soulless.Great writing should be more than dumping a collection of "hot" issues on the reader -- even if you can do so in a seamlessly artistic manner.It needs to call to something in our hearts and minds, and raise us up to consider our lives more fully.

To be confronted with superficiality in a book that deals with a main character who is troubled by people seeing only his looks and not understanding the person underneath.That is ironic indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Hot Day at Maisy's Place
If you are the parent of a young child, you probably know who Maisy is. She's a mouse with a duck, a squirrel, an elephant, and a crocodile for friends. Why the crocodile isn't trying to eat the others is beyond me, but that's life in Maisy's workd.

Both of my daughters love the Maisy books; there's something about their simple stories and colorful pictures that even appeals to adults. The books are short and easy to read. But, the stories are never obnoxiously simplistic, like so many other books for small children.

It's a hot summer day and Maisy pulls out her pool to cool off. But she runs into a few problems when she finds a leak in the pool and then has her friend Eddie the Elephant decide to sit in it. Will Maisy ever be able to cool off?

Perfect for one-year-olds!
I've read this book so many times to my 15-month-old, I can recite it from memory! He started going nuts for it around the time he turned one; that's when he wanted a little more of a story line. This book and the other three in the group (Maisy's Bedtime, Maisy Dresses Up, and Maisy Makes Gingerbread) are one step up from the one-picture-and-one-word per page kinds of books for babies, but not so high up that they start having way too much text per page. A typical page in this book is "Maisy and Talullah are feeling hot." Just one or two simple sentences and one wonderful bright Lucy Cousins illustration per page-spread; ten page-spreads total. ... Read more

Book Description

A flock of birds was moving toward me along the river, hovering over something floating on the water. It drifteddownstream, closer and closer, until finally it bumped up against the dock. Though it was covered with leaves and branches, now I could tell that it was a raft. I reached down and pushed some of the leaves aside. Beneath them was a drawing of a rabbit. It looked like those ancient cave paintings I'd seen in books--just outlines, but wild and fast and free.

Nicky isn't one bit happy about spending the summer with his grandma in the Wisconsin woods, but them the raft appears and changes everything. As Nicky explores, the raft works a subtle magic, opening up the wonders all around him--the animals of river and woods, his grandmother's humor and wisdom, and his own special talent as an artist.

... Read more

Reviews (11)

Raft Revelation
The Raft is a book that captures the heart of the reader with its great illustrations and vivid details of na-ture. It is a story of a boy who travels to his grandmother's house for the summer but really does not want to go. Her house is by a river where Nicky discovers a raft and a love of nature. He soon realizes the raft attracts animals, encountering many he hadn't seen in real life. Animals that would normally be frightened by a human seem calmed by the raft
During the summer he falls in love with drawing nature like his grandmother, who is also an artist. It is a story about a series of events that probably wouldn't happen, but the reader might wish they could.
The colorful illustrations by the author are some of the most delight-ful I have seen. He makes objects look exactly the way the reader might envision them.
The author had a cabin by a river near Lake Superior, and in his childhood memories he did not actually find a raft like this, but he did dream of it.
This book would appeal to chil-dren between the ages 6 and 8, or younger as a read-aloud. It is a great story for older children, teens, and adults as well.
If you like books about nature and animals this is your book.

Wonderful images, flat story
As a native of Wisconsin, I had much interest in the story of a boy, his grandmother, and wildlife on a Wisconsin river. The illustrations, admittedly the author's strong suit, were strong indeed. The images were of such excellent quality that they almost made the book worthwhile. The beginning of the story held promise, but ended up spending beyond its means into imagination. Either a story of the boy visiting his grandmother for the summer and experiencing adventure on the river, or an imaginary tale of prolific so-close-you-could-touch-it wildlife would have been good. Neither was completed, and the resulting combination left me feeling flat. The experts, my two and five year-old grandchildren lost interest before the book was halfway through. Maybe for children a little bit older? I wish hope Mr. LaMarche to continue to illustrate, and a story-teller to author the books.

The Raft
My daughter is 5 and loves this book, as do I. As we got to the last page, she said, "Read it again!" The illustrations are so beautiful and what a great way for children to see the beauty of nature. Another great thing about this book, is showing kids(and adults) that you don't need tv to have an amazing time.

The Raft
"Dad grinned. "Well, She's not your normal kind of grandma... calls herself a river rat." and with that Nicky blinks back tears at the prospect of spending the summer with her. There is not even a TV. What's a kid supposed to do? Well it's not long before Nicky discovers a raft, an old raft with pictures drawn all over it. I suspect Grandma had something to do with the discovery. As the days go by the raft becomes a haven for more than a boy and his grandma, 'hitchhikers' in the form of birds, racoons, turtles and even a family of foxes are viewed from the raft. Nicky soon finds himself drawing his own pictures of the animals he meets and discovering a hidden talent. This is a warm wonderful book that makes you absolutely long for a summer like Nicky spends with his grandma.

I was hurled back to the summers of my youth
As a young girl, I loved summers in upstate NY with my grandmother. This book - from the first illustration to the end - hurled me backward in time. I loved it. I used it as part of a group of river-related books in my Reading program for 3,4 and 5th graders. I loved reading it aloud to the students time and time again and they loved listening to it. Some of them chose to read it again by themselves. We put together a wonder mural of river life after reading this and all the other river-related books. It was a wonderful read for us all. My students were amazed at how the little boy could have any fun without a TV. The theme of enjoying nature was evident from the get-go and the illustrations gently reinforced the message. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

unique format, fun activities for parents to do with kids
This is a fun book with an interesting format. The pages are thick and spiral bound. The pages are laminated so the book can be used poolside for reference by parent when teaching the child these activities. The left side of the page is a beautiful scene: photographs of children enhanced by an artist with what looks like paint. There is rhyming prose under it. The intention is to read this aloud to your child to get them interested. The writings and pictures are themed, gliding, floating, etc. and go along with activities that are on the right side of the page.

The problems I have with the book are that I didn�t realize this book doesn�t start at the beginning. That is to say, I thought it would start with ideas for getting the child used to getting their face wet at first, then going under water. Tips for getting the child used to relaxing in the water so the parent can guide them to follow the directions. This book starts right off with the first activity of the child swimming underwater, unaided, through a hoop. I think that starting off with underwater activities assumes a lot of preparation work has already been done with either parents or by taking lessons. There is also no logical order to these activities. For example the 5th activity is to hum in the water and blow water at the surface. It would seem to me that this activity should have been first. I�d prefer the activities to go logically from easy and then progressing to more difficult (or scary) activities. I also feel the safety precautions should go right up front as the first set of activities rather than being at the end as if an afterthought.

Now for what I like about the book. This is a short book; there is no fluff or filler here. I like that there are read aloud sections for the children. The way the reading is linked to fun activities is creative and unique. There is one photograph per activity. The directions are written clearly and concisely. The method is gentle and caring, which I appreciate. However, since there are no tips for getting off to this starting point such as how to first get the child to go all the way under with trust and confidence. There are some great tips I never though of such as after having the child jump in, don�t hug them but turn them back to the wall and teach to climb out. The only problem for me is that with both my kids, to get them into the pool in the first place I had to hold them in my arms (especially since the depth in shallow end is still way over a baby or toddler�s head). Therefore, children used to being carried and hugged in the water have a hard time resisting that, to follow the author�s directions.

What is covered in this book is: swimming underwater, doing things underwater (fetching toys, etc.), relaxing on back to float on surface, encouraging to go deeper underwater, jumping off side, climbing out, pushing off from bottom and going up�bobbing, proper kicking method, gliding, and safety precautions.

Overall this book has a lot of info in a concise format with beautiful visuals and with a caring and fun attitude toward these activities. Since there are limited books for parents on teaching our children how to swim, I recommend this book. I plan to use it but will have to come up with some kind of logical progression of easy to difficult.

Great for teaching kids to swim!
Both my kids were swimming by age three thanks to this great book. Great, easy to understand tips. Learning to swim was a fun experience, not a frightening experience. ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is an original and exciting new look at the fascinating natural world of the seashore. Stunning real-life photographs of crabs, lobsters, tide pools, fish, seals, seabirds and more offer a unique "eyewitness" view of life on the seashore.See a starfish on the move, how a sea urchin disguises itself, a sea anemone catch a prawn, the inhabitants of a tide pool, and fish that change color.Learn how a limpet grips the rock, how a crab grows a new leg, how a prawn becomes invisible, how seabirds catch fish, and how a sea otter sleeps at sea.Discover how long seaweed can grow, why hermit crabs live in secondhand shells, which shells bore holes in solid rock, where a puffin lays its eggs, and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good book that studys the seashore.
This is a good book because it studys life on the seashore and things that live on it, like sea stars and crabs. ... Read more

Book Description

Gary Paulsen takes readers along on his maiden voyage, proving that ignorance can be bliss, but also really stupid and incredibly dangerous. He tells of boats that have owned him — good, bad, and beloved — and how they got him through terrifying storms. His spare prose conjures up shark surprises and killer waves, and how it feels to sail under the stars. Falling in love with the ocean set Gary Paulsen on a lifelong learning curve, and readers will understand why his passion has lasted to this day.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

the review
Caught by the Sea by Gary Paulsen is about Garys life on boats. It starts out when he was on a military troopship heading for the phillipines. One day Gary was woken by his mom to find that a plane had crashed in the ocean near their ship. Gary saw sharks attacking people ion the water but he knew that it was a part of life and he wasn't afraid of them.
After Gary gets out of the Army he goes to California because he feals drawn to the ocean. While there, he was working in hollywood writing stories, while ther he was invited to a weekend party with some other writers on a lake. This is were Gary got his first ride on a sailboat and decides that that is what hes going to do to fulfill his desire to be near the ocean. After buying a sailboat and a day of sailing Gary decides that he wants to go out to sea. While sailing in the sea the wind dies down to nothing and Gary didn't know that, that meant a storm was coming. He stayed out there all day and finally when it came he was stuck out in the ocean while the wind pinned his boat to down parrallel to the water. After the storm Gary starts heading back toward the shore. After that GAry tells mor stories about his life and that someday he wants to sail around Cape Horn. I thought this was an excellent book. For a reader who doesn't know anything about boats this might be a little slow but Gary does an awesome job explaining the parts and what they do so you should feel like you could go sail a boat after reading. I would definetly reccomend this book to other readers.

Just a Part of Paulsen's Life
The majority of Paulsen's books are fictional, but this one is autobiographical in nature. Readers are given the impression that Mr.Paulsen has been many places and has done many things that are not included in this book. This is just the "chapter" on the part of him that was captivated by the sea. His first introduction to the sea is on a troopship with his mother at age seven. He views the horrors of a plane crash and the shark attacks upon some of the survivors. Although this was an ugly experience, he is compelled to return to the sea years later. The majority of the book contains descriptions of his battles in his various boats with oceans, storms and winds. Many of these battles are admissions of his own inadequacy. He then undergoes a learning process each time, only to survive stronger and wiser. The experiences are well-written, with graphic details. Some of the language is quite specific to the sport of sailing and might require additional information to achieve a better understanding. This can be an enjoyable book, but may be limited in its apeal due to a topic of somewhat limited interest.

A good book by Gary Paulsen
What a neat book!
I'd almost given up on Gary Paulsen autobiographical books after reading his motorcycle-themed book. But yes, Gary shows here he can write an engaging book about his past.
With a wry, understated sense of humor, he takes us through his experiences with boats -- from the first time he was entranced with the sea, to his future plans.
He tells stories of events that most authors would rather forget -- from his initial brash overconfidence, almost getting "taken" by a fast-talking boat salesperson, and how he came close to death several times through lack of knowledge and clues about sea conditions that would be obvious to experienced sailors.
This book is even interesting reading for adults who want to know more about Gary Paulsen.
The title has a nice twist to it -- Paulsen writes how the sea "caught" him in the sense of being his captivated by the sea, and how the sea several times "caught" him in the sense of almost killing him.

Sailing Away on Words
I like this book. It's a great book .If you like sailboats you will like this book. It's about Gary Paulsen on his sailboats. Gary Paulsen is a great writer. I recommend this book for you.

The Sea
Caught by the Sea is a very interesting book. This book is a true story based on Gary Paulsen's experiences of the sea. I found so many things out about the sea, like how to tell when there is going to be a big storm or how to set a sail. I learned about parts of a boat and what each part dose. The book was exciting when Gary Paulsen struggled to live in the most dangerous kinds of weather conditions. Overall this book was very intriguing. I think people who want to learn more about the sea should read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Surfing is back and bigger than ever, with girls now hitting the waves in unprecedentednumbers. Girls who just wanna be cool know that surfing is the way to do it--while having fun and getting into great shape at the same time. But becoming a surfer isn’t just figuring out how to stand up on a board; it’s how to walk the walk and talk the talk, how not to flop out of your top, and knowing how to deal with one of the biggest hazards of the sea--boys in the water. It’s also about learning patience, discipline, focus, and perseverance.

Jam-packed with full-color photos, dynamic graphics, comics, and instructional art, surfer girl Sanoe Lake’s comprehensive guide not only teaches style, skills, and safety--it empowers readers with all of the sassy wit and attitude that made Sanoe a favorite character in the cult flick Blue Crush. ... Read more

Book Description

Follow the red canoe from page to page as it journeys down river carrying the family on a camping tour. It's the next best thing to paddling it yourself.

Reviews (1)

Excellent book for primary age kids while studying rivers.
We used this book as a spring board for an environmental unit. We planned mapping, canoe safety, first aide safety, camping and landforms. We also planned a field trip to a local park with a creek and set up stations that involved the different aspects of the book. We used newspaper ads and had the children decide what would be needed for a canoe trip and tied it in with math, teaching money. This was a great book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

A Wonderful Book.
A wonderful book. It gave sooo much information. Parents will love it. I feel the author tried to tell us something. I think he wants us to keep trying to accomplish our goals and not be bothered by what other people say. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Our favorite nightime story book
We really like to use this book to read to our son (2 year old) because it contains a little story, it's short enough that he can follow it, there is plenty of pictures to keep him interested with as many occasion to teach him some new vocabulary.
We would also recommend very much Mr Small little Farm. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

THIS BOOK ROCKS
I bought this book as sort of a joke, because it sounded so typically California sufer dude. And it is, but it is also awesome. Children love the colorful pictures and rhythmic language. Adults never get tired of reading it to the kids because it is so funny. This book now forms the centerpiece of my standard baby gift for new parents (along with a beach pail, swimsuit, or other appropriately aquatic-themed item). Everyone who's received one has told me they and their children love it.

Way fun, way cool, and as the Hawaiians say: Talks story
My kids like the book so much that they drew their own pictures of rhinos surfing. Best of all, they are bugging me to take them surfing with me.

The book is colorful, funny and teaches kids surfer slanguage in a fun way and at a fun pace.

k55@pacbell.net

An outstanding book for adults and children!
Rhinos who surf is a colorful, exciting adventure into the world of surfing. As a surfer myself, this author accuratly captures the lingo of the surfing world in a fun way. I keep buying more and more copies for mu surfing friends.

A fun gift for both kids and adults.
Julie Mammano's book is entertaining and enjoyable. Her vivid (and detailed) illustrations alone would make the book worthwhile, but add in the portrayal of rhinos, and the piece is even better. It's perfect for a gift or for reading aloud--kids love it.

An exuberant and colorful story for kids of all ages
Rhinos who surf follows three rad rhinos from dawn to dusk on a surfing safari. Julie Mammano's language and watercolors capture the excitement of surfing and convey real enthusiasm for the sport. A great one to read aloud. Cowabunga!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

When the impish blonde heroine of Mary Casanova's One-Dog Canoe sets out for a paddle around the lake, she intends to have just one animal along for the ride: her dog. The two canoe companionably for a time, gliding past pine trees, ducks, fish, and frogs. Then a beaver on the bank asks if he can join them. The girl protests politely--"It's a one-dog canoe"--but the beaver scrambles in anyway and finds a seat comfortably near the picnic basket. The girl's credibility is lost. Soon the three are joined by a loon, a wolf, a bear, and a moose, and finally a frog hoping for a dry ride.

Casanova's rhythmic rhymes and onomatopoeic sound effects ("Swoosh-a-bang flop!" as the canoe finally capsizes) add charm to the familiar story pattern, and the lengthening refrain "It's a one-moose, one-bear, one-wolf, one-loon, one-beaver, one-dog canoe!" will be fun for children to chant. Ard Hoyt's winning pencil and watercolor illustrations bring all the characters to life. The look of satisfaction on the beaver's face when he first sits down and the girl's growing indignation and alarm are especially giggle-worthy. (Ages 4 to 8) --Jennifer Lindsay ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A darling little story
This is such a fun little story. My three year old twin girls just love it. I will read it to them many times a day, and they always bust into laughter. They think all the animals are so funny when they want to take a ride in the One-dog Canoe. Great story for all children.

Adorable!!
A fun adventure with great illustrations! The animals actualy pout when they can't come along! My three year old loves it!

One Wild Ride.....
"I set off one morning in my little red canoe. My dog wagged his tail. "Can I come, too?" "You bet," I said. "A trip for two-just me and you..." Down the river paddles our young narrator and furry friend. Soon they come upon Beaver building his dam. He stops chewing just long enough to ask if he can join the trip. "There's not much room. It's a one-dog canoe." But that doesn't deter Beaver, and he jumps right in. And as the trip continues down the river, so do Loon, Wolf, Bear, and Moose. But when Frog insists on joining the fun and hopping in... Author, Mary Casanova's playful and engaging text is filled with rhyme, rhythm, energy and marvelous onomatopoeic sound effects that begs to be read aloud. Illustrator, Ard Hoyt's captivating pencil and watercolor artwork tickles the funny bone with endearing characters, hilarious facial expressions, and clever, eye-catching details. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, One-Dog Canoe is an entertaining, chain-of-events treasure. So grab a paddle and hop aboard. It's time for a fun-filled ride.

Fun!
We entered this book into our library system today, and I laughed like crazy when I read it. The pictures are adorable, just watch that dog's face. A delightful book I will buy for my grandchildren. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Family Book, Fun and Educational
This Hawaii Book Publishers Association Award of Excellence winner operates on a number of levels. The first is the straightforward Oahu North Shore story of Kimo and his desire to surf like his big brothers. To do so, he must learn patience and discipline, he learns that something attained comes through a process, sometimes long. There also is an opportunity to learn from his mother, and to gain the knowledge that parental advice isn't so far removed from kids. There are also a number of fun and educational extras inside.

Kimo asks, and his brothers make the collective decision to teach him to surf, and they do it together, as a family effort. But Kimo first must learn to swim. After all, surfing is an ocean sport, with the best waves usually quite a ways from shore, so swimming is a vital survival skill. So, first Kimo is taught discipline in learning to swim well, and with endurance.

Next Kimo must study the surf, the break of the waves, the movement of the water, so he gains an understanding of the waves he wants to surf, and so he learns the essential respect of the sea.

Then his brothers surprise him--he'd been concentrating so hard on his training, he'd lost track of his frustration--with his own surfboard. It's a family longboard hand-me-down, the same board they learned on. This is a great physical reinforcement of the family effort to get Kimo surfing, ohana all the way.

Finally, his mother offers advice from her younger surfing days. She teaches him the self-confidence he will need to catch and ride his first wave on his own, in front of the older, more experienced boys. It is, after all, his mother's advice which finally gets him up and gets him his first ride.

The illustrations are wonderful, with perfect color, content, and level of detail to communicate life in non-Waikiki Hawaii. There are a number of small inserts in the illustrations which are referenced with text at the back of the book that serve as teaching points for the flora and fauna of Hawaii. This is accompanied by a glossary of different things seen in the book, from Hawaiian plants and flowers to a recipe for banana bread, as well as a simple Hawaiian pronunciation guide. The front and back inside covers also feature a simple map of the Hawaiian islands to situate the story. These are very thoughtful educational touches.

I strongly recommend this book for all small children, whether from Chicago, Siberia, or Polynesia. Its solid, well-presented themes and lessons of family and personal development transcend surfing and the warm waters of the Pacific.

Wonderful book!
This story is sure to inspire children and adults. Kimo wants to learn to surf like his brothers, but first his mother makes sure he can swim well. The story teaches respect for the ocean and positive problem solving skills. Kimo finally gets his first surfboard and with persistence and determination he stands up on his first wave. The story also shares Hawai?i's wonderful cultural heritage and is educational in an interesting way. The artwork is beautiful. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for teaching children the basics of sailing
I read this this book to my 4-year old daughter, Sarah. She loves it, and has learned some important sailing concepts from it. We are building a live-aboard sailboat, and have been very concerned about child safety. After reading _Sarah's Boat_, we find her playing sailboat in the back yard, coming about and ducking the imaginary boom! She has been able to stand on a beach and judge the direction of the wind, and predict whether we could take a straight course to the opposite shore, or whether we would need to tack. She gleans this knowledge from what she considers a bed time story. I wish there were more books like this! ... Read more

Book Description