Splish Splash Adventure

Sidekicked by John David Anderson.

Thirteen-year-old superhero sidekick-in-training Drew "The Sensationalist" Bean must overcome his not-so-superpowers and become the hero everyone needs when supervillain The Dealer returns to Justicia (373 pages, RL 5.4).

Keeper by Kathi Appelt.

Ten-year-old Keeper heads to a sandbar in a small boat along with her dog BD and a seagull named Captain in order to find her mother, a mermaid who left her when Keeper was only three (399 pages, RL 4.7).

Windcatcher by Avi.

While learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother's at the Connecticut shore, eleven-year-old Tony becomes excited about rumors of sunken treasure in the area and starts following a couple who seem to be making a mysterious search for something (120 pages, RL 5.3).

Explore Titanic by Peter Chrisp.

Contains approximately 125 photographs and illustrations, including numerous three-dimensional images, exploring the Titanic from its first launch in 1911 to its tragic fate in 1912 (RL 7.5).

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech.

Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination—and its passengers search for their places in the world (305 pages, RL 5.2).

My Near-Death Adventures (99% True!) by Alison De Camp.

In 1895, twelve-year-old Stan decides to find his long-lost father in the logging camps of Michigan, documenting in his scrapbook his travels and encounters with troublesome relatives, his mother's suitors, lumberjacks, and more (252 pages, RL 5.0).

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo.

When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace who tells him that his presumed-dead sister is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures in an attempt to find her (201 pages, RL 5.5).

You Wouldn’t Want to Be in the First Submarine!  An Undersea Expedition You’d Rather Avoid by Ian Graham.

Hate tight squeezes and cold, wet spaces? Then forget about traveling on the first submarine. If you don't get stuck sliding down the hatch, you'll wind up wading through ankle-deep water in ridiculously cramped quarters. (32 pages, RL 5.6).

The 26-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths.

Andy and Terry live together in a 26-story treehouse where they tell stories and have crazy adventures (345 pages, RL 3.7).

Stowaway by Karen Hesse.

A fictionalized journal relates the experiences of a young stowaway aboard the Endeavor, which sailed around the world from 1768 to 1771 under Captain James Cook (315 pages, RL 5.8).

Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret.

When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years. Includes an author's note which provides factual information on tsunamis (151 pages, RL 5.9).

Adventure beneath the Sea: Living in an Underwater Science Station by Kenneth Mallory.

Kenneth Mallory describes the week he spent in an underwater laboratory off the Florida Keys, discussing his work, what it was like to live underwater, the marine creatures he encountered, and more (48 pages, RL 6.7).

Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive--until he finds he is not alone (164 pages, RL 4.3).

Going Where It's Dark by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

A coming-of-age novel about a boy whose daily life is difficult because he stutters but who discovers enormous courage when he goes on heart-pounding cave adventures (321 pages, RL 6.7).

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola.

A picture book biography of oceanographer Sylvia Earle, discussing her childhood along the Gulf of Mexico, her passion for the environment, and her experiences in ocean exploration (32 pages, RL 5.0).

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.

Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind (177 pages, RL 5.4).

Treasure Hunters by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.
Following clues left by their missing father, twelve-year-old twins Bickford and Rebecca Kidd sail from the Caribbean to New York City with their siblings to finish the dangerous quest of their world-famous treasure-hunting parents (451 pages, RL 4.6).

Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick.

Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship Essex by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men survived against impossible odds. Based on the author's adult book In the Heart of the Sea (164 pages, RL 6.1).

The Young Man and the Sea by W. Rodman Philbrick.

After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna (192 pages, RL 4.6).

Abel's Island by William Steig.

Castaway on an uninhabited island, Abel, a very civilized mouse, finds his resourcefulness and endurance tested to the limit as he struggles to survive and return to his home (117 pages, RL 5.9).

Is the Bermuda Triangle Really a Dangerous Place? and Other Questions about the Ocean by Melissa Stewart. 

Investigates the facts behind seventeen commonly held beliefs about the ocean (40 pages, RL 4.6).

The Cay by Theodore Taylor.

Philip, an adolescent white boy who is blinded in a torpedo attack at sea during World War II, acquires a new type of vision-- and courage and love-- when he is stranded on a tiny Caribbean island with Timothy, a kind, elderly black man (171 pages, RL 5.3).

Loot: How to Steal a Fortune by Jude Watson.

When notorious jewel thief Alfie McQuinn is killed on a job, his last words to son March are to "find jewels." This instruction leads the boy to Jules, the twin sister he never knew he had--and the perfect partner to carry on the family business (266 pages, RL 4.2).

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino.

A pictorial biography of Jacques Cousteau, covering his adventures aboard Calypso with his team of scientists, diving equipment, and waterproof cameras, and work to protect the oceans from pollution (33 pages, RL 4.6).