As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| May, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7542-4$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Laurel Molk.
Worry-filled little dog Sukie visits the beach with her child owner, Eleanor. Sukie is afraid of the sand, a beach ball, and the water--and "besides, there might be lobsters." But when Sukie's stuffed monkey, Chunka Monka, needs rescuing, the pup bravely conquers her fears. Playful watercolor, acrylic, and pen-and-ink illustrations add humor to the recognizable plot and will endear timid little Sukie to readers.
40 pp.
| HarperCollins/Harper
| August, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-244114-0$17.99
(4)
K-3
Dapper feline inventor Mr. Biddles does not recognize his own loneliness until a crate from Maine shows up on his doorstep; lobster Hobson becomes "the extra set of hands [Mr. Biddles] always needed" as well as a great companion. The slight plot serves as a vehicle for Lombardi's unique digitally assembled collages, a charming mishmash of photographs, found objects, ephemera, and drawings.
371 pp.
| Simon Pulse
| August, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-8204-2$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-8206-6
(3)
YA
Rilla's father has died suddenly, so it's up to her to keep the family's fishing legacy alive. While out lobstering, high-school graduate Rilla meets university student Sam as he excavates a nearby island. The island's secret past leads to Rilla's being haunted. Parker skillfully immerses the reader in coastal-Maine culture and history, with the supernatural element adding danger and urgency to the narrative.
135 pp.
| Kids Can
| March, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55453-642-9$15.95
(3)
4-6
Lobster Chronicles series.
Illustrated by
Shelagh Armstrong.
When Norris accidentally destroys his teacher's cactus, he hatches an elaborate scheme to displace the blame. Meanwhile, his father's high auction bid for a giant lobster highlights the wealthy family's outsider status in the community. The narrative is critical of Norris's snobbery while still projecting compassion for his isolation, striking a complex but kid-accessible balance to all the hijinks. Small pencil illustrations open each chapter.
142 pp.
| Kids Can
| August, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55453-708-2$15.95
(4)
4-6
Lobster Chronicles series.
Illustrated by
Shelagh Armstrong.
Earnest Ferguson, determined to help his grandfather find a legacy to leave behind, is the focal perspective for this third overlapping tale of how the trapping of a giant lobster affects a small fishing community. Kerrin weaves community memory, intergenerational bonding, and tension between old ways and new into a thoughtful plot, but the leisurely pace and extreme subtlety will limit the book's appeal.
213 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| February, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-57091-641-0$16.95
(3)
4-6
Petronius, an articulate seahorse, narrates this ocean adventure about Higgins Hole, a peaceful reef community. When threatened by a group of bloodthirsty sharks, Petronius and friends must figure out how to save their community and their lives. Fishy puns, dynamic vocabulary, suspenseful action, and black-and-white drawings of the smart yet goofy-looking sea creatures make this a winning package.
32 pp.
| Down East
| June, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-60893-004-3$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Amy Huntington.
When the fog rolls in and the seas get rough, Grandma's son, the lobsterman, gets seasick. As in their earlier books, Grandma and grandson Billy rise to the occasion. With wild abandon, they drive the lobsterboat filled with lobsters for the town’s Labor Day picnic back to shore. Their humorous voyage back is accompanied by action-filled watercolor illustrations.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| October, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2336-1$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Dan Andreasen.
Told by a jovial red lobster, this retelling takes place in the deep ocean where Santa is a walrus in a conch shell sleigh pulled by eight tiny seahorses. Andreasen's oil-paint and digital art is cheery but cutesy. The undersea setting is a tad gratuitous, though some children may find the aquatic re-imagining entertaining.
128 pp.
| Kids Can
| March, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55453-576-7$15.95
(4)
4-6
Lobster Chronicles series.
Illustrated by
Shelagh Armstrong.
Budding marine biologist Graeme's lobsterman father catches a huge, record-breaking lobster. In order to get at that crustacean, crafty cannery scion Norris exploits Graeme's desire to raise funds to visit the Big Fish Aquarium. There's also a classroom mystery, and the plot is a bit muddled. The maritime North Atlantic setting is vivid in this first entry in a planned trilogy.
233 pp.
| Philomel
| May, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-25696-7$16.99
(2)
4-6
When Indie's rare golden lobster disappears, she enlists the help of oddball new kid Owen. Her desperate-to-fit-in older sister, however, does not want her to be friends with weirdos and lobsters. The girls' relationship, realistic and poignant, adds depth to the story while providing insight into Indie's frantic search. Moulton's sensitivity to her characters' emotions extends the tale's mood and setting.
(4)
4-6
Eddie, twelve, and Briggs, thirteen, find themselves chasing down lobster thieves while being accused of the same crime. After a slow start, the story's action picks up with the boys setting a trap to catch the criminals. The entire cast of characters fits into well-worn stereotypes, but the protagonists make a likable pair of amateur detectives.
214 pp.
| Front
| November, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59078-516-4$16.95
(4)
4-6
Stuck in a hick town in Maine for the summer, thirteen-year-old Manuel desperately wants to return home to New Haven. To raise money, Manuel works for Zeke, a crotchety old lobsterman. Manuel's slow summer picks up (as does the book) when Manuel finds himself hunting for "black gold" (mussels) with Zeke. The unlikely pair forge a reluctant friendship as adventures and troubles mount.
(4)
4-6
When a gigantic pair of lobsters is stolen from Mr. Petrusca's fish shop, spunky Hazel Green cracks the case using sophisticated guesswork and irresistible charm. While sleuthing, Hazel learns that Mr. Petrusca is illiterate and decides to teach him to read. Hazel's role as a tutor is unconvincing, but this novel works well as a clever detective story.
32 pp.
| Benchmark
| September, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1765-6$21.36
(3)
K-3
Bookworms: Guess Who series.
Intended for beginning readers (but also good read-alouds), these informational books are narrated by a lobster (Snaps) and a spider (Spins). Short clues ("I have two strong jaws. Each one has a sharp fang") and intriguing close-up photographs help readers guess each animal's identity. "Challenge words" are defined at the end of the book. Ind. Review covers these Bookworms: Guess Who titles: Guess Who Snaps and Guess Who Spins.
202 pp.
| Clarion
| October, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-395-77603-1$$15.00
(4)
4-6
Lobstering for the summer off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, high schooler Lauchie pulls up an old crock containing an antique pistol and a letter describing hidden treasure. Predictable but entertaining adventure ensues as Lauchie and a friend search for the stash of silver and gold and narrowly escape disaster when a cave wall collapses. Ashby has a good sense of Cape Breton speech cadence and develops the setting well.
146 pp.
| Front/Cricket
| April, 2001
|
TradeISBN 0-8126-2800-4$$15.95
(4)
YA
Despite his mother's urging to apply for college, high schooler Dain dreams of becoming a lobsterman like his late father. Conflicts with his older brother and a series of destroyed lobster traps cause Dain to reconsider his future. Although the plot's pace in this first novel is sporadic, the setting--Maine's fog-shrouded coastal waters--is strongly evoked.