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Girl at Sea

(2007, Fiction - Coming of Age, Written by Maureen Johnson)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Feisty heroine and great details keep book afloat.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Clio has accidents: She recalls being hit by a boat when she was a kid, and is stung by jellyfish on her current trip. Later in the book, pirates kidnap her at gunpoint.
  • Sex:

    Some kissing. Elsa, Clio's roommate, invites Aidan to spend the night with her.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The teens on the boat drink alcohol.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Girl at Sea

Parents need to know that there isn't too much to worry about here beyond some kissing and underage drinking.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how authors research stories. For this book, for example, the character knows how to scuba dive and recounts her dive through a shipwreck. The author obviously had to know about diving in order to make that believable. Can you think of other books you've read that have showcased this kind of expertise? What are some ways authors can do research? How does this research enrich a story?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Indiana
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0

    Great Book!!

    I just finished reading it. While reading I had to wonder if it was based on anything about the Rosetta Stone. It was an adventerous, and great book. Even though Clio talks about her best friend Jackson(that's a girl!), Clio never actually talks to her in the book, I thought that was sorta weird you know sense it's her best friend and all, I thought she would have at least had a conversation with her.

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