Sam Cooper has moved enough in his short lifetime! He is tired of always being the new kid in school. So when Sam's dad says his research assignment this time will last at least two years, maybe even as long as five, Sam gets excited. Plus, they will be moving at the end of the school year so Sam will have the summer to meet friends.
One Sunday after the family moves to Florida, Sam meets Tony and Tyler at church. Tony is "cool", Tyler is Tony's shadow, and Sam wants to be their friend. Tony's dad owns a marina and offers free scuba lessons to Tony and two friends. As summer progresses, Sam, Tony, and Tyler spend hours together at the marina and elsewhere. They are typical middle school students who sometimes act without thinking about consequences and occasionally do what they want to do even knowing it isn't the right thing to do. Although Sam, Tony, and Tyler make some wrong choices, they show courage and ingenuity when facing the situation resulting from those choices. They learn from their mistakes. This short story is filled with action and adventure sure to capture the interest of any young male, and maybe even some young females!
After Sam's adventures have wrapped up, there is a bonus chapter called "All About Catamarans", which gives interesting information about the type of sailboat Sam, Tony, and Tyler sailed on. Another bonus chapter, "How To Make A Shelter", gives more details than the actual story does of how to build a structure similar to the one the friends constructed.
I consider this a wholesome, clean book written to a 9- to 12-year-old audience. It includes family and Christian values without being preachy. Sam's family eats dinner each evening together and attends church together. They discuss God at home. It also includes current realities as Tyler's parents are divorced, and neither shows much interest in Tyler's activities at the beginning of the story. This book also contains references to drugs. Before the Coopers move, there is a drug raid at a house three blocks from their home. On their relocation drive to Florida, there is a traffic delay on the interstate due to a K-9 drug search. All drug references that I recall are age-appropriate. I plan to let my 13-year-old son read this book, and I can definitely recommend it to my 9-year-old nephew as well. The book is well written and a fun read. I enjoyed it! This is book one in a series, but it is complete on its own. However, I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the adventures of Sam, Tony, and Tyler.
I received a PDF copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
One Sunday after the family moves to Florida, Sam meets Tony and Tyler at church. Tony is "cool", Tyler is Tony's shadow, and Sam wants to be their friend. Tony's dad owns a marina and offers free scuba lessons to Tony and two friends. As summer progresses, Sam, Tony, and Tyler spend hours together at the marina and elsewhere. They are typical middle school students who sometimes act without thinking about consequences and occasionally do what they want to do even knowing it isn't the right thing to do. Although Sam, Tony, and Tyler make some wrong choices, they show courage and ingenuity when facing the situation resulting from those choices. They learn from their mistakes. This short story is filled with action and adventure sure to capture the interest of any young male, and maybe even some young females!
After Sam's adventures have wrapped up, there is a bonus chapter called "All About Catamarans", which gives interesting information about the type of sailboat Sam, Tony, and Tyler sailed on. Another bonus chapter, "How To Make A Shelter", gives more details than the actual story does of how to build a structure similar to the one the friends constructed.
I consider this a wholesome, clean book written to a 9- to 12-year-old audience. It includes family and Christian values without being preachy. Sam's family eats dinner each evening together and attends church together. They discuss God at home. It also includes current realities as Tyler's parents are divorced, and neither shows much interest in Tyler's activities at the beginning of the story. This book also contains references to drugs. Before the Coopers move, there is a drug raid at a house three blocks from their home. On their relocation drive to Florida, there is a traffic delay on the interstate due to a K-9 drug search. All drug references that I recall are age-appropriate. I plan to let my 13-year-old son read this book, and I can definitely recommend it to my 9-year-old nephew as well. The book is well written and a fun read. I enjoyed it! This is book one in a series, but it is complete on its own. However, I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the adventures of Sam, Tony, and Tyler.
I received a PDF copy of this book through The Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
