Gracie Under the Waves

June 3, 2024
Living in western New York, tween Gracie is miles away from the ocean, yet she yearns to snorkel among coral reefs, especially in the Maldives. In pursuit of her dream, Gracie gathers information about a closer locale—Roatán, an island in Honduras—and presents it to her parents, including flights, housing, and beaches at which to
snorkel. Her resourcefulness persuades them to book a family trip. She’s less prepared to deal with her six-year-old brother Ben, whose energy, enthusiasm, and adoration of her skills she finds annoying. Upon discovering that coral reefs worldwide are at risk due to global warming, Gracie determines to learn all she can about reef conservation during her island visit. But when she gashes her shin while snorkeling, a serious infection and strict instructions to stay out of the water threaten her health—and her dreams. Gracie is headstrong, smart, and delightfully self-directed, and her relationship with Ben is both realistic and aspirational. Using high-energy prose and high-stakes plotting, Park (My Book and Me) delivers a splashy tale ferried by an undercurrent of compromise, climate activism, and earnest love for the natural world. An author’s note concludes. Gracie and her family read as Korean American. Ages 8–12.

August 1, 2024
Gracie convinces her parents to take her and her little brother, Ben, snorkeling in Roat�n. Though her ultimate snorkeling goal is the Maldives, Korean American Gracie knows that baby steps are necessary to get her family from New York to the other side of the world, so she compromises by suggesting Honduras for spring break. Gracie also knows that patience is key when dealing with impulsive, boundary-crossing Ben. Gracie finds joy in seeing fairy basslets, butterflyfish, and other marine wildlife, but as Ben's behavior grates on her and she learns about the threats faced by the world's reefs, she's brought to her boiling point. Gracie's attempts to engage Ben in her interests fail to create a cohesive story. Her parents also leave her to do more than her fair share of caring for Ben--a choice that the author never unpacks or pushes back on. Frequent lectures from those who run the dive shop and the local marine park offer valuable information about protecting reefs but feel preachy and clunkily inserted. Ben behaves more like what an adult thinks a 6-year-old talks and acts like. While some readers may share Gracie's passions, her descriptions of snorkeling and fishing are often disrupted by inorganic language and actions. Final art not seen. An imbalanced mesh of sibling squabbles and overly didactic reef advocacy. (author's note)(Fiction. 9-11)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2024
Grades 4-6 Sixth-grader and coral-reef enthusiast Gracie Kim daydreams of a trip to the Maldives, a place she has determined has the best snorkeling sites in the world. Instead, she convinces her family to spend spring break in another lively spot for this sport: Roat�n, a Honduran island. Once she, her parents, and her annoying younger brother arrive at the beach, the story becomes more travelogue than plotted narrative, focusing on the reef's inhabitants, their endangered status, and efforts to restore this fragile ecosystem. Park vividly describes the thrill of being surrounded by amazing marine creatures, the damage Gracie observes on the reefs, and the hazards of a jellyfish bloom. The latter experience provides some drama for the story, as does an infected coral scrape on Gracie's leg that keeps her stuck on land for several days. Illustrated with black-line spot art featuring the flora and fauna described and appended with an author's note explaining Park's personal experiences snorkeling, this should be popular with readers planning their own marine adventures.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2024
Gracie Kim loves snorkeling and hopes to persuade her parents to spend spring break in the coastal community of Roatan, Honduras. Her younger brother Ben's unsolicited help keeps introducing wrinkles into her trip-planning. "It would be completely unfair to say that Ben always ruined Gracie's plans. It would, however, be both fair and realistic to say that Ben always had the potential to ruin her plans." The family does make the trip, and Gracie is delighted to be snorkeling on a real reef. She makes friends with local conservationists and learns about how climate change is affecting reefs; when an infection incurred from the reef puts her perfect vacation in jeopardy, she finds a way to cope. But Ben's constant over-enthusiasm and interference get under Gracie's skin until her emotions get the better of her. The conflict is resolved authentically, with both Gracie and her parents learning new ways to manage Ben's behavior (which hints at a neurodivergence such as ADHD), and the book's climax delivers, with genuine but age-appropriate danger and heroism. The environmental and social-justice messages never take the reader out of the story, and Park nails the balance between Gracie's tween self-centeredness and her caring relationships with friends and family. Sarah Rettger

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 6, 2024

Gr 6 Up-Gracie, a middle school girl, has an obsession with snorkeling after going once three years ago and is eager to go again. Gracie works to convince her parents that the family should visit Roatan, Honduras, the second best place to snorkel. The area is not immune to coral reef endangerment, as Gracie quickly discovers. The family visits the Marine Park, meeting founder Ian and his young daughter Alina. This acquaintance allows the family to see and be a part of reef conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Gracie has an infected shin from reef contact and drama with younger brother Ben to work through before enjoying one last snorkeling session before going home. Park vividly describes the underwater world, and the novel's overall vocabulary is excellent. There are several instances of Alina yelling at adults and children over their perceived ignorance of coral reef endangerment: Alina's dad endeavors to channel her rage into calm knowledge sharing. Spanish words are used throughout. Gracie's middle school librarian is described as constantly encouraging students to be activists over reading. Characters present as Latinx or Korean. VERDICT A must-purchase tale of conservation and coming of age for children and adults.-Sarah Sieg

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
Gracie Kim loves snorkeling and hopes to persuade her parents to spend spring break in the coastal community of Roatan, Honduras. Her younger brother Ben's unsolicited help keeps introducing wrinkles into her trip-planning. "It would be completely unfair to say that Ben always ruined Gracie's plans. It would, however, be both fair and realistic to say that Ben always had the potential to ruin her plans." The family does make the trip, and Gracie is delighted to be snorkeling on a real reef. She makes friends with local conservationists and learns about how climate change is affecting reefs; when an infection incurred from the reef puts her perfect vacation in jeopardy, she finds a way to cope. But Ben's constant over-enthusiasm and interference get under Gracie's skin until her emotions get the better of her. The conflict is resolved authentically, with both Gracie and her parents learning new ways to manage Ben's behavior (which hints at a neurodivergence such as ADHD), and the book's climax delivers, with genuine but age-appropriate danger and heroism. The environmental and social-justice messages never take the reader out of the story, and Park nails the balance between Gracie's tween self-centeredness and her caring relationships with friends and family.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)