By Jules Bakes
Illustrated by Niki Smith
Graphix / Scholastic, 2025
247 pages
978-1-338-83586-1
Ages 8-12
Life aboard Janey’s parents’ sailboat, the Merimaid, has its ups and downs—sometimes literally. Janey (white) enjoys life at sea and the opportunity to travel, but seasickness, storms, and isolation make it challenging. Her relationship with her best friend, Rae (who lives in Florida), is on rocky ground. When her parents anchor at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in search of temporary work, Janey jumps at the chance of a friendship with brown-skinned Astrid, who lives on a nearby boat. Astrid seems sophisticated and worldly, but she can be mean, too. She pushes Janey to explore dangerous, off-limits locations, like an abandoned military bunker. When the girls nearly get trapped in an underground cistern, Janey explodes with anger over Astrid’s recklessness; Astrid, who has a negligent father, accuses Janey of complaining about things for which Astrid envies her, like having attentive parents and a homeschooling routine. Recognizing Astrid’s unhappiness and low self-worth, Janey becomes the only source of encouragement in Astrid’s life. Just as the girls’ friendship begins to hit its stride, the threat of a hurricane abruptly sends Janey to her grandmother’s house while her parents ride out the storm. When she returns, Astrid and her family are gone, leaving Janey without a real sense of closure. Featuring clean, colorful artwork, this graphic novel based on the author’s childhood in the 1990s offers a fascinating glimpse into life at sea and very believable, if painful, friendships. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center