Grayson

May 1, 2006
On a clear California morning when Cox (Swimming to Antarctica
) was 17 years old, she had an unusual experience that stayed with her for 30 years, creating a spiritual foundation for her personal and professional success. In this slim and crisp memoir, Cox details a morning swim off the coast of California that took an unexpected turn: returning to shore, she discovered that she was being followed by a baby gray whale that had been separated from its mother. As Cox developed a rapport with the whale, she took on the responsibility of keeping it at sea until it was reunited with its mother. Cox expertly weaves fine details together, from the whale's mushroomlike skin to how other fish react to such a large creature. At times Cox's prose is uneven, alternating from emotional to factual, but her pure joy at connecting with Grayson (her name for the baby whale) overrides any technical inconsistencies. The combination of retelling her once-in-a-lifetime experience with her observations on life ("If I try, if I believe, if I work toward something... the impossible isn't impossible at all") will have timeless appeal for all ages.

June 1, 2006
What if you were swimming alone in the ocean one morning and encountered a whale? That -s what happened to long-distance swimmer and writer Cox ("Swimming to Antarctica") when she was 17 and training off the southern California shore; she was -picked up - by a baby gray whale that had become separated from his mother. In this short book, Cox tells the story of her ultimately successful effort to reconnect the whale, whom she called Grayson, with its mother, lyrically describing her bond with the mammal and what it feels like to be a very small human amid a great ocean of life, depth, and currents. Although the book contains some good factual information, it is much more mystical than your typical natural history fare. It -s the kind of book a young person might pick up for the whale angle before subsequently becoming fascinated with the whole oceanic world. Recommended for public and high school libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ "5/1/06.]" -Margaret Rioux, MBL/WHOT Lib., Woods Hole, MA"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2006
Adult/High School-In a simple but suspenseful narrative, the author recounts her mystical encounter with a baby whale and his mother on a March morning 30 years ago. Then 17 years old, Cox was just completing her swim off Seal Beach, CA, and heading toward shore when the ocean became unusually rough and swarming with small fish. A large animal that she at first mistook for a shark was swimming just beneath her. In fact, it was an 18-foot-long baby gray whale. Cox was frightened and then enchanted by the playful creature that seemed to want to follow her to shore, an act that would be fatal for him. She developed an emotional bond with the whale she calls Grayson, guiding him away from the shore. Both teen and calf were hungry, fatigued, and dehydrated, but Cox, frozen to the bone in 55-degree water, was determined to find the baby's mother. With incredible optimism and courage, and the guidance and encouragement of nearby fishermen and lifeguards, Cox finally united Grayson with his huge, barnacled parent. This true adventure is as breathtaking as the exotic underwater life that the author describes in vivid detail."Jackie Gropman, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2006
Cox, author of " Swimming to Antarctica" (2004), looks back to an unforgettable experience when she was 17 years old, training for a long-distance swim. In the darkness of 5 a.m., outside the water break on California's coast, she encountered something swimming in the water with her. She felt something beneath her and worried that it might be a shark. It turned out to be a baby gray whale. She realized that the 18-foot-long whale, which she called Grayson, had lost his mother on their travel to the feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. How could she help? Growing tired in the 55-degree water, Cox held on, communicating with Grayson, expanding her optimism as wide as the vast ocean, praying for the mother whale's return. In this lyrical little book, Cox vividly describes the sights and sounds of the ocean, oil rigs, and the city nearby, the speed and amplification of sound underwater. She recalls being caught in the lip of a wave and pulled into its mouth, the loneliness and keen awareness of danger to herself and the young whale. They encounter dolphins, jelly fish, pelicans and other aquatic life, as well as a host of humans cheering on their efforts. This book is moving and thrilling in its simple language as Cox laments the inadequacy of words to express profound feelings but demonstrates the exhilaration of the effort.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)