This post is part of a weekly series of synopses of children’s books, written by First Book staff members.

Caught By the Sea, by Gary Paulsen. If you love boats, you’ve found a friend. Paulson describes his early attempts at sailing and near disasters, and finally to his growing love of the sea. His adventures are thrilling and true to life as he tells us what he learnes about the sea and about himself along the way. Grades 5-6.


Hungry Hungry Sharks, by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Patricia Wynne. From the gentle whale shark to the dangerous great white, these creatures from the ocean have been around since before the dinosaurs! Great drawings show types of sharks and their habits, like cleaning up the ocean. They aren’t so smart though - the smaller dolphins can work together in groups to defeat some sharks. But however terrible their reputation, actually more people die from bee stings than from sharks! Grades 3-4.


Boats, by Shana Corey, illustrated by Mike Reed. Boats come in many shapes and sizes. Some boats are small enough to float in your bathtub and others are strong enough to carry cars! How many of these boats do you know? Grades K-2.