Girl at Sea (by Maureen Johnson)

There's a lot going on here, both in the background and foreground, from the strained relationship between Clio and her dad to his crew's mysterious mission off the coast of Italy. Readers will be there for Clio's first kiss -- and her dive through an old shipwreck. The author even creates a colorful backstory for Clio involving exotic childhood trips around the globe. All of these details are well described and well woven together, and readers will find themselves engaged throughout Clio's journey at sea.

Readers will be guessing until the end about which characters they can trust. They will appreciate the ambitious premise and that the characters manage, for the most part, to be likable and flawed. There's a little something for everyone: adventure, romance, family drama -- even pirates!