Skip to main content

Race to the Bottom of the Sea

 
Race to the Bottom of the Sea
by Lindsay Eagar
Candlewick, 2017. Fiction. 423 p.
Fidelia Quail is totally happy living with her marine biologist parents.  Even though she is only 11, she does her own field studies and even invents new technology to help with the work. Then one day her parents parish in a storm while in a submarine Fidelia designed.  Fidelia hardly has time to mourn before she is captured by some pirates who want her to use her inventions to get a treasure that has fallen to the bottom of a bay. At first Fidelia is terrified, but after a while she begins to see that there is more to her captors than she had first supposed.

This was a remarkably original and emotionally complicated story.  It reminded me a little of Holes by Louis Sachar. There are two stories going on in the narrative. One is Fidelia's story and one is a story that began years before about the pirate and his lost love.  Eagar fleshes out all the characters and shows how heroes can be villains, and villains can be heroic.  Readers should beware that there is some Biblical swearing in this one, as well as pirate violence and plenty of fish guts.  If anyone is a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, or just want a swashbuckling adventure, this one is definitely a good choice.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Mixed-Up Owl

The Mixed-Up Owl  Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it!  Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him.  Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on.  Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...

Display: Be A World Traveller

Real Castles Around the World Written by Kaitlyn Duling Vero Beach, Florida : Rourke Educational Media, 2025. Informational. 48 pages Take a trip around the world as you read about the most impressive castles ever built! Explore fierce fortresses, castles that have inspired stories, uniquely colorful castles, and the history behind them all as you Travel to Real Castles Around the World! Part of the Travel to Children s Book Series, this 48-page nonfiction book explores castles both past and present, the kings that inhabited them, and knights that fought to protect them! Lower the drawbridge, cross the moat, and travel to real castles from all around the world as you learn about our magical history with fun-filled facts and vibrant photos. History Book Features: Before- and after-reading activities. Extension activity. Glossary About Rourke Educational Media: We proudly publish respectful and relevant nonfiction and fiction titles that represent our diverse readers, and are designed to...

Review: Grounded for All Eternity

Grounded for All Eternity By Darcy Marks New York : Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Fiction. 375 pgs. Malachi, Crowley, and Lilith are just your average, normal, middle-school kids. That is, if you consider living in the suburbs of Hell and having black feathered wings normal. They want to enjoy their school free vacation, but Hell is on lock down after the soul of Reverend Samuel Paris, leader of the 1693 Salem witch trials, escapes. Malachi and his friends travel to Earth, looking for some fun, but accidentally bring the Reverend's soul with them to modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Chaos ensues, and Malachi meets many new types of characters, such as witches, angels, and humans. Malachi and his friends must work together to return Reverend Sam's soul to Hell, or else all of Salem will be destroyed. Or worse, be grounded for all eternity.  Read this book for the ultimate Halloween experience, and if you want to revisit the ...