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2/4/2020 1 Comment The Line Tender by Kate Allen Title: The Line Tender
Author: Kate Allen Publisher: Penguin Random House (April 16, 2019) ISBN: 978-0735231603 Genre: Realistic Fiction Recommended Age Level: 9-13 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Twelve-year-old Lucy Everhart and her rescue-diver father have been figuring out life together in their New England coastal town since the death of Lucy’s mother, Helen, 5 years ago. Her mother was a brilliant marine biologist who devoted most of her research to studying sharks. Lucy spends most of her free time with her best friend and neighbor, Fred, who she has known all her life. This summer, they are working on an extra credit wildlife project for school, where Fred’s love of science can blend perfectly with Lucy’s love of drawing and art. When news arrives of a great white shark that has been caught by a local fisherman and family friend, the two friends race off to add this specimen to their wildlife project. This sparks the emotional and pivotal beginning to a summer where Lucy and Fred begin to develop feelings for each other, Lucy discovers and grows interest in her mother’s work, and a tragic swimming accident plunges the entire town into grief, which hits all too close to home for Lucy and her father. “Lucy is a grounded, relatable character and the way she processes her grief is believable. Allen skillfully tackles the difficult issues without becoming too didactic or morose. The inclusion of women scientists, including Lucy's mother and, later, one of Lucy's mother's colleagues, is welcome as is Lucy's own budding interest in marine biology.” – School Library Journal Giunta, L. J. (2019, March 1). The Line Tender. School Library Journal, 65(2). Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=the-line-tender Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) Lemons by Melissa Savage (2017): Ten-year old Lemonade Liberty Witt doesn’t know the answer to that question, except what her mom taught her. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what if those lemons are so big that you forget how? How do you make lemonade out of having to leave everything you know in San Francisco to move to the small town of Willow Creek, California and live with a grandfather you’ve never even met? In a town that smells like grass and mud and bugs. With tall pines instead of skyscrapers and dirt instead of sidewalks. Not to mention one woolly beast lurking in the woods. That’s right, Bigfoot. A ginormous wooden statue of the ugly thing stands right at the center of town like he’s someone real important, like the mayor or something. And the people here actually believe he’s real and hiding somewhere out in the pine filled forests. How can anyone possibly be expected to make lemonade out those rotten lemons? Everything is different and Lem just wants to go back home. And then she meets Tobin Sky, the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives, Inc. and sole investigator for the town. He invites her to be his Assistant for the summer and she reluctantly agrees. At least until she can figure out her escape plan. Together, Lem and Tobin try to capture a shot of the elusive beast on film and end up finding more than they ever could have even imagined. Finding Esme by Suzanne Carlisle Crowley (2018): After her grandfather died from a heart attack while driving his tractor, Esme has avoided returning to the spot where he lost his life. But when she follows her little brother, Bo, up the hill while chasing fireflies, she makes an incredible discovery—dinosaur bones peeking out from underneath the abandoned tractor. Esme sees the bones as a message from her grandfather; a connection beyond the grave. But when word gets out that Peach Hollow Farm is hiding something valuable, reporters, researchers, and neighbors arrive in droves. Esme must find a way to understand who has her best interests at heart—especially as the memories of her grandfather begin to slip away. The Things About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin (2015): After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting--things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.
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