Tag Archives: Surfing

MG – Wave

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Farid, Diane. Wave. Cameron Kids, 2022. 978-1-951-83658-0. 313 p. $18.99. Grades 4-6.

Wave is a middle grade novel in verse that follows Ava, a Persian girl who loves to surf and sing. Ava also loves spending time with her best friend, Phoenix, but the summer before 9th grade things are not going to plan. Her mom wants Ava to volunteer at the local hospital in the hopes that Ava will follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a doctor. One day Phoenix’s lymphoma is back, and there isn’t a lot that makes Ava feel better anymore. When she is with Phoenix she feels like she belongs, and as he goes through treatments Ava begins to feel lost. Will she be able to handle what life has in store for her? Or will she be thrown off and set adrift?

THOUGHTS: This a beautifully told middle grade novel in verse about a friendship and finding your own voice. This book does not shy away from the hard topics and the ending may have the reader in tears. Great read alike for fans of Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.  

Realistic Fiction          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter School
Novel in Verse

Elem. – Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks

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Tsui, Bonnie, and Sophie Diao, illustrator. Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks. Henry Holt and Company, 2021. 978-1-250-23948-8. unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Sarah Gerhardt grew up surfing little, medium, and big waves (her favorite!) on Oahu’s North Shore, which is famous for its huge waves, some of which top the height of a five-story building. As one of just a few girl surfers, Sarah struggled to find the right size surfboards and wetsuits; luckily, she found a circle of friends that included a surfboard shaper who made boards that were just right for her. She later moved to California, where her new home was near Mavericks, the famous big-wave surf break. With its monster waves, “Mount Everest meets Niagara Falls” was a dangerous place to surf, and no woman had ever done it … until Sarah! Illustrator Sophie Diao captures Sarah’s history-making ride, and its epic scale, in a made-for-storytime flip-up page. Throughout Sarah and the Big Wave, Diao’s digitally rendered artwork beautifully captures the ever-changing colors of the ocean and the power of its biggest waves. A timeline of milestones in the history of women and surfing complete this fantastic picture book biography.

THOUGHTS: This upbeat, inspiring true story is positively swell.

Picture Book Biography          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD