Consider the Octopus

Gr 5-7--JB is 12 years old and facing a long summer at sea as the only kid on the NOAA deep sea research vessel Oceania II, where his mother is the lead research scientist. JB gets tasked with inviting scientists and students to an environmental summit on board to raise awareness of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and hopefully reestablish funding for their mission. The invitations include Dr. Sidney Miller, a renown marine biologist. But Sidney Miller is also the name of a 12-year-old girl who is desperate to escape her dreaded summer camp, and is now, thanks to JB, the recipient of the mistaken invitation. Sidney is not going to let this opportunity go; she accepts the invitation and hatches a plan. JB, flummoxed by his mistake, agrees to sneak her onboard. From hiding out in a nest in the ship's laundry room, to serial impersonation of a renowned scientist, Sidney, JB, and their friends lurch from hilarious crisis to crisis, staying barely one step ahead of the adults--until the fateful day Sidney is discovered. With nonstop action, a surprisingly effective ending, and empathetic characters, this is a fast, fun read. VERDICT A sure winner for readers interested in the environment and adventure, or even just in adventure.--Gretchen Crowley

Faith in coincidence buoys this optimistic, seafaring comedy of errors, told from two cued-white 12-year-olds' alternating perspectives. Jeremy "JB" Barnes is the seasickness-prone son of a lead scientist aboard Oceania II, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel on a mission to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Meanwhile, ocean-obsessed Sidney Miller is desperately trying to avoid going to summer camp. When Jeremy is tasked with inviting scientists to attend an impromptu publicity campaign, he mistakenly invites Sidney, who, with assistance from her Jewish nana (a believer in synchronicity and the philosophy of tikkun olam, or "repairing the world"), conspires to board the ship. Rather than admit his error, Jeremy sneaks Sidney in under the name of a no-show student. Mistaken identity and slapstick comedy mingle with grim facts about microplastics and marine debris, culminating in the duo's attempt to lure a world-famous environmental reporter to the campaign to raise global awareness for the cleanup effort. In their latest collaboration, Baskin and Polisner's (Seven Clues to Home) upbeat eco-adventure combines fiction with real-world issues and affirms that kids can bring about change. Ages 8-12. Agents: (for Baskin) Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary; (for Polisner) Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)

A breath of fresh air. Clever plotting sprinkled with humor and accessible STEM references made this a joyful, bingeable adventure you won't want to put down. —Christine Taylor-Butler, author of The Lost Tribes series