Beaches, Boats and Water Booklist
Title: Any Day With You
By: Mae Respicio
Published: 2020
During the summer before seventh grade, Kaia, who enjoys living in Southern California, visiting the beach with her family, and creating movie make-up effects, makes a film with her friends to win a contest and hopefullly prevent her beloved great-grandfather from moving back to the Philippines.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: J Respi.M
Title: At the Beach
By: Huy Voun Lee
Published: 1994
A mother amuses her young son at the beach by drawing in the sand Chinese characters, many of which resemble the objects they stand for.
Age Range: 3-5
Call Number: JPicture Lee.H
Title: Beach
By: Elisha Cooper
Published: 2006
Women, men, boys, and girls spend a day at the beach enjoying a variety of activities on the sand and in the water.
Age Range: 3-5
Call Number: JPicture Coope.E
Title: A Beach Tail
By: Karen Lynn Williams
Published: 2010
When his father tells him not to leave the lion he is drawing on the beach, a little boy starts making a very, very long tail--and a trail to follow back.
Age Range: 4-7
Call Number: JPicture Willi.K
Title: Beyond the Bright Sea
By: Lauren Wolk
Published: 2017
Twelve-year-old Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny, isolated piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. Abandoned and set adrift in a small boat when she was just hours old, Crow's only companions are Osh, the man who rescued and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce and affectionate neighbor across the sandbar. Crow has always been curious about the world around her, but it isn't until the night a mysterious fire appears across the water that the unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart. Soon, an unstoppable chain of events is triggered, leading Crow down a path of discovery and danger.
Age Range: 10-12
Call Number: J Wolk.L
Title: Compass South
By: Hope Larson
Published: 2016
After escaping the Black Hook Gang in 1860 New York City, twelve-year-old twins Alexander and Cleopatra flee to New Orleans, become separated, and try to find each other in San Francisco, while being followed by pirates who think they hold the key to treasure.
Age Range: 10-12
Call Number: JGraphic Larso.H
Title: Consider the Octopus
By: Nora Raleigh Baskin
Published: 2022
Told in alternating voices, twelve-year-olds JB Barnes and Sidney Miller meet aboard a scientific research ship after JB is tasked to invite a renowned scientist named Sidney Miller and mistakenly invites a girl with the same name who will do anything to get out of going to summer camp. This book is a comedy of errors, mistaken identity, and synchronicity. But above all, it is a heartfelt story about friendship and an empowering call to environmental protection, especially to our young people who are already stepping up to help save our oceans and our Earth.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: J Baski.N
Age Range:
Call Number: J Baski.N
Title: Day at the Beach
By: Tom Booth
Published: 2018
When Gideon decides that he is going to build the most spectacular sandcastle anyone has ever seen without the help of his little sister Audrey, his day at the beach becomes a lesson in sibling bonding.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JPicture Booth.T
Title: Down Under the Pier
By: Nell Cross Beckerman
Published: 2020
Four children share an exciting day up above and down below a busy pier. Includes notes on creatures that can be found in intertidal zones.
Age Range: 5-7
Call Number: JPicture Becke.N
Title: The Girl From the Sea
By: Molly Knox Ostertag
Published: 2021
Fifteen-year-old Morgan is desperate to escape the perfect little island where she lives, finish high school and leave her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends...who don't understand Morgan at all. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface... whether Morgan is ready or not.
Age Range: 12 and up
Call Number: JGraphic Oster.M
Title: It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit
By: Justin A. Reynolds
Published: 2022
When the electricity goes out, twelve-year-old Eddie and his friends set out to investigate what is going on when they make the startling discovery that they are the only ones left in their neighborhood--and perhaps the only people left anywhere.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: J Reyno.J
Title: Jabari Jumps
By: Gaia Cornwall
Published: 2017
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can't help but root for.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JPicture Cornw.G
Title: Julián is a Mermaid
By: Jessica Love
Published: 2018
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes--and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JPicture Love.J
Title: The Last Mapmaker
By: Christina Soontornvat
Published: 2022
A high-seas adventure set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world. This is the story of a young woman's struggle to unburden herself of the past and chart her own destiny in a world of secrets. As assistant to Mangkon's most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman - and in a kingdom where the status of one's ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her. Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn't the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns that the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands - a land of dragons, dangers, and riches beyond imagining - she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as intricate as the maps of old.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: J Soont.C
Title: Manatee Summer
By: Evan Griffith
Published: 2022
Peter and his best friend, Tommy, have a goal for their last summer before middle school: finish their Discovery Journal, a catalog of the wildlife around their Florida town. When they spot a manatee in a canal, Peter knows they've found something special--and when the manatee is injured by a boat, something to protect! As Peter joins the fight to save Florida manatees, he also finds himself taking care of his ailing grandfather and facing an unwelcome surprise that jeopardizes his friendship with Tommy. Soon Peter is adrift, navigating shifting tides and realizing that he has as much to discover about himself as he does about the world around him.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: J Griff.E
Title: Mia Mayhem Rides the Waves
By: Kara West
Published: 2021
Mia Mayhem learns some important things about herself and her abilities during a family vacation to the beach.
Age Range: 5-9
Call Number: JChapter West.K
Title: Mindy Kim Makes a Splash!
By: Lyla Lee
Published: 2022
Mindy Kim can't wait to learn how to swim with her best friend, Sally! But during her first swim lesson, Mindy isn't so sure she can keep up. With a little help from Sally and Theodore the Mutt, can Mindy learn how to make a splash?
Age Range: 6-9
Call Number: JChapter Lee.L
Title: Mr. Hulot at the Beach
By: David Merveille
Published: 2016
This wordless picture book follows the humorous misadventures of Mr. Hulot as he attempts to enjoy a day at the beach.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JGraphic Merve.D
Title: Oona
By: Kelly DiPucchio
Published: 2021
Meet Oona. The big sea's littlest mischief-maker. She and her best friend, Otto, love to search for treasure...But when the grandest treasure yet is stuck in a deep, dark rift, Oona's not sure if she can dive right in.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JPicture Dipuc.K
Title: Queen of the Sea
By: Dylan Meconis
Published: 2019
When her sister seizes the throne, Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished to a tiny island off the coast of her kingdom, where the nuns of the convent spend their days peacefully praying, sewing, and gardening. But the island is also home to Margaret, a mysterious young orphan girl whose life is upturned when the cold, regal stranger arrives. As Margaret grows closer to Eleanor, she grapples with the revelation of the island's sinister true purpose as well as the truth of her own past. When Eleanor's life is threatened, Margaret is faced with a perilous choice between helping Eleanor and protecting herself.
Age Range: 10 and up
Call Number: JGraphic Mecon.D
Title: Sail Away
By: Donald Crew
Published: 1995
A family takes an enjoyable trip in their sailboat and watches the weather change throughout the day.
Age Range: 4-7
Call Number: JPicture Crews.D
Title: Sandcastle
By: Einat Tsarfati
Published: 2020
Building a grand sandcastle which attracts visiting royals from fairy-tale worlds, an imaginative young girl is dismayed by the constant sand that gets into everything, from the royal almond strudel and fig milk bath to the crocodile moat and badminton court.
Age Range: 4-6
Call Number: JPicture Tsarf.E
Title: Shark Summer
By: Ira Marcks
Published: 2021
When a Hollywood film crew arrives on Martha's Vineyard with a mechanical shark and a youth film contest boasting a huge cash prize, disgraced pitcher Gayle "Blue Streak" Briar sees a chance to turn a bad season into the best summer ever. After recruiting aspiring cinematographer Elijah Jones and moody director Maddie Grey, Gayle and her crew set out to uncover the truth of the island's own phantom shark and win the prize money. But these unlikely friends are about to discover what happens when you turn your camera toward the bad things lurking below the surface.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: JGraphic Marck.I
Title: Snow Angel, Sand Angel
By: Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Published: 2021
Claire sees lava, sandy beaches, and undersea coral reefs on her island of Hawai'i. Yet she dreams of snow falling from the sky, snowflakes melting on her tongue, and most of all, building a snowman. See how Claire's dreams become 'real' as she learns to appreciate the island she call home.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JPicture Yaman.L
Title: Swap!
By: Steve Light
Published: 2016
A peg-legged youngster uses his bartering skills to trade for sails, anchors, a ship's wheel and other necessary supplies to fix their ship and make a friend in the process.
Age Range: 3-7
Call Number: JPicture Light.S
Title: Swashby and the Sea
By: Beth Ferry
Published: 2020
No-nonsense Captain Swashby is used to the sea meeting all of his needs and when, after his retirement, new neighbors disturb his solitary life, the sea helps in just the right way.
Age Range: 4-7
Call Number: JPicture Ferry.B
Title: Swim Team
By: Johnnie Christmas
Published: 2022
Bree can't wait for her first day at her new middle school, Enith Brigitha, home to the Mighty Manatees--until she's stuck with the only elective that fits her schedule, the dreaded Swim 101. The thought of swimming makes Bree more than a little queasy, yet she's forced to dive headfirst into one of her greatest fears. Lucky for her, Etta, an elderly occupant of her apartment building and former swim team captain, is willing to help.
Age Range: 8-12
Call Number: Currently on order
Title: Ty's Travels: Beach Day
By: Kelly Starling Lyons
Published: 2021
Ty turns an ordinary day in the sandbox into a fun beach day. He wiggles his toes in the sand, finds seashells, builds a castle, and splashes in the ocean. When his neighbor's beach ball flies into his backyard, Ty learns that a beach day is even better with a friend.
Age Range: 4-8
Call Number: JBegin Lyons.K
Title: Water in the Park: A Book About Water & Times of the Day
By: Emily Jenkins
Published: 2013
Relates how the water in a park is used in different ways by the human and animal inhabitants of a neighborhood.
Age Range: 3-7
Call Number: JPicture Jenki.E