It feels like it is time to have the sand between our toes, feel the ocean breezes, enjoy the sunshine and read a great book!
Here are some great titles from Overdrive about the ocean to get you started:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (Grade 7-12 Audiobook)
An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention — a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo’s death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villians ever created, takes his revenge on all society.
More than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers.
The Deadly Seas (Worst Case Scenarios) by David Borgenicht (Grade 3-7)
Join one of the youngest crews ever to sail around the world in this fourth installment of the Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure Novel series! Faced with fearsome dangers and difficult decisions, your choices will determine your fate on the deadly seas. Will you survive tropical storms, high winds, navigation crises, and sharks? Or will you be forced to return home early? Only the reader can decide how to survive. There are 24 endings to this adventure, but just ONE will lead to the ultimate success!
With eye-catching comic book style illustrations and real-life facts about survival on the high seas, young readers can choose how to survive and jump to the next section in this interactive ebook.
Dory Story by Jerry Pallotta (Grade K-3)
Be prepared for a few surprises when Danny ventures out into the bay in his dory.
Although taking the dory out solo is strictly forbidden, Danny cannot resist the calm waters of the bay. And that’s where the adventure begins. He thinks rowing into a school of bluefish is trouble enough, but wait until the whales enter the picture. Danny encounters one sea creature after another and learns about the ocean food chain in the process. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, the story takes an unexpected twist.
With brilliant and vibrant illustrations, readers will feel the excitement of being out on the water surrounded by ocean creatures. The life and the life cycle of the ocean will fascinate young readers.
The Great Bear Sea by Ian McAllister (Grade 8-12)
Ian McAllister and Nicholas Read take readers on an expedition into the wondrous and mysterious underwater world of the Great Bear Sea. This amazing part of the northeast Pacific Ocean is home to some of the planet’s mightiest and most beloved residents: whales, sea lions, dolphins, orcas, sea otters and wild salmon. Filled with spectacular images of this largely unknown part of the world, the book also explores the uncertain future of the Great Bear Sea in this age of climate change, overfishing, pipelines and oil tankers. Can a rainforest full of rare spirit bears, fishing wolves and great grizzlies survive without a Great Bear Sea to feed and nourish it?
I Must Go Down to the Beach Again by Karen Jo Shapiro (Grade 4-7)
In this delightful collection of poetic parodies, Karen Jo Shapiro takes 23 classic poems spanning nearly five centuries and gives them a kid-sized twist.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Grade 7-12)
Life of Pi is a masterful and utterly original novel that is at once the story of a young castaway who faces immeasurable hardships on the high seas, and a meditation on religion, faith, art and life that is as witty as it is profound. Using the threads of all of our best stories, Yann Martel has woven a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means to be alive, and to believe.
Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr (Grade 4-8)
A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim–a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass. So she’s not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for three days, leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it’s not as if no one’s looking after her–she’s got a sea lion to mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an interesting new e-mail pal. But when her father’s cell-phone calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to be stronger and braver than she’s ever been before. And she’ll need all her friends to help her.
Ocean Soup by Stephen R. Swinburne (Grade K-3)
Playful poems introduce readers to ten salty tide-pool creatures—from a self-satisfied anemone that brags about its home to barnacles that perform a rap about their feeding technique.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys 9-12
New York Times Bestseller! “Masterly crafted”—The Wall Street Journal
World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Sea Change by Diane Tullson (Grade 9-12 Text difficulty 2-3)
Lucas and his father are not close. In fact they hardly see each other, which is just fine with Lucas. When he travels to the remote fishing lodge his father manages, Lucas is left once again, this time with a lodge worker, a girl named Sumi. She makes it pretty clear that Lucas is on his own. But she does take him fishing and seems to be warming up to him. Then, in a horrible sequence of misjudgments, Sumi is shot in the foot. With no radio and no phone, Lucas and Sumi are truly alone. Fog rolls over the islands and it’s up to Lucas to get Sumi to medical help, a day’s journey by boat up the inlet.
This is the Sea that Feeds Us by Robert F. Baldwin (Grade K-3)
From the delightful opening verse of this poetic nonfiction book, the reader learns the important concept that plankton is the first link in the ocean food chain. The rhyming text continues and covers each link—the shrimp who eats the plankton, the sea bass who eats the shrimp and the humans who catch the sea bass for dinner. This is a wonderful resource for studies on ocean plankton, habitats, and food chains.
Reviews by Overdrive