The Turn of the Tide

October 12, 2015
After a tsunami leaves Kai’s Japanese town in ruins, his parents, who are busy repairing the local nuclear plant, send him to America to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Oregon. Kai goes reluctantly, but his heart remains in Japan as he is haunted by images of destruction and wracked with guilt for abandoning his grandparents at the height of the storm. Meanwhile, his American cousin, Jet, is also being bothered by her conscience. While sailing her father’s boat, she made a serious mistake that put her and her brother at risk. Absorbed in their own concerns, the cousins remain polite but distant until their common interest in boats draws them together just in time for the annual Treasure Island sailing race, which will bring more danger than either child imagines. Alternating between the perspectives of two vulnerable protagonists, Parry (Written in Stone) has created a modern sea adventure that will keep young mariners rapt. Impulsive, outgoing, and determined Jet is an ideal foil for her introspective cousin. Ages 9–12. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.

October 15, 2015
After a tsunami destroys their community, Kai's parents, busy repairing a power plant, send him to Astoria, Oregon, to stay with relatives he barely knows, including his cousin Jet, whose ambition is to pilot ships across the dangerous Columbia River bar. His white father grew up in Astoria, but Kai, raised in Japan, identifies as Japanese. Being biracial in a culture that values conformity becomes more challenging than ever after his failed, maverick attempt to rescue his grandparents. Equally adrift, Jet doesn't share friends Bridgie and Skye's obsession with shopping and boyfriends; another old friend has found a new pal to sail with. Jet's thrilled that Kai sails too, but she's blinded by her single-minded focus on sailing. Accepting Kai's help to repair her boat and crew in the Treasure Island Race, she forgets his trauma; pushing him into the water too soon nearly sinks their friendship. Kai had wanted to stay and help rebuild his Japanese town; he suspects fitting in will be harder when he returns. "Not so easy to be a boy between cultures," Uncle Per says, then points out, "Lots of mariners are like you--a foot in more than one place. Captain a ship and you're a citizen of the whole world." Parry tells her story in third-person chapters that alternate perspective between Kai and Jet, effectively getting readers under the skin of both. Thematically rich, by turns exciting and reflective, this affectionate homage to the mariner life celebrates human commonality and difference in an increasingly interconnected world. (map, message for young mariners, author note) (Fiction. 9-12)

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Starred review from November 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-When the earthquake hits in Japan, Kai knows he's supposed to follow the rules, but he also knows that his beloved grandparents need his help evacuating-and he runs away from his teacher. Many thousands of miles away, Kai's American cousin, Jet, knows she must check the tides before sailing-each and every time. But she didn't this time, and her decision has grave consequences. In the aftermath of the tsunami that devastates Kai's island, his parents send him to stay with his American cousins in Oregon. Both kids must come to terms with the consequences of their decisions. Kai feels tremendous guilt that he was unable to save his grandparents, compounded by the shame of disobeying an adult. He already feels like he doesn't fit in because he's half-Japanese. Jet's family business, piloting ships through treacherous channels, is decidedly male-dominated. There has only been one female pilot, and Jet wants to be the second. She keeps this secret, though, and works twice as hard at everything to succeed. Their summer isn't an easy one. Kai's homesick; worried for his parents, who are nuclear engineers in charge of repairing the power plant; and grieving his grandparents. Jet knows her intense competitiveness is off-putting and mourns the loss of her best friend. Parry has created two uniquely flawed main characters that readers will quickly grow to love. She has also crafted a vivid, close-knit community of seafarers who help one another. VERDICT This affecting work of realistic fiction is one to be savored-even by dedicated landlubbers.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Two cousins from different countries are brought together by tragedy; burdened with past regrets, they become sailing partners in an attempt to win a boat race and redeem themselves. When a tsunami devastates his home in Japan, Kai, burdened with guilt after failing to save his grandparents, is sent to live in Oregon with his cousin Jet. Jet, who aspires to follow in her father's footsteps and become a ship's pilot, had ignored the tsunami warnings in her haste to go sailing and hit wreckage that damaged her boat. As she wrestles with her shame over her irresponsibility, Kai tries to acclimate to a different culture and struggles to master his fear of the water. With the boat race approaching, Kai and Jet will have to overcome their differences and regrets in order to work together to win. Both are well developed: their resilience against trying circumstances is sharply drawn, and Kai's introspection nicely balances Jet's impulsiveness. Even readers unfamiliar with the mechanics of sailing will find the race scenes exciting, and a sailing glossary provides extra information. The result is a touching, heartwarming story that reaffirms the idea that, for anyone, second chances are possible.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)