Gracie Under the Waves

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.