{"product_id":"a-crack-in-the-sea-isbn-9780399545214","title":"A Crack in the Sea","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn enchanting historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Thanhha Lai's Newbery Honor-winning \u003ci\u003eInside Out and Back Again\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo one comes to the Second World on purpose. The doorway between worlds opens only when least expected. The Raft King is desperate to change that by finding the doorway that will finally take him and the people of Raftworld back home. To do it, he needs Pip, a young boy with an incredible gift—he can speak to fish; and the Raft King is not above kidnapping to get what he wants. Pip’s sister Kinchen, though, is determined to rescue her brother and foil the Raft King’s plans.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThis is but the first of three extraordinary stories that collide on the high seas of the Second World. The second story takes us back to the beginning: Venus and Swimmer are twins captured aboard a slave ship bound for Jamaica in 1781. They save themselves and others from a life of enslavement with a risky, magical plan—one that leads them from the shark-infested waters of the first world to the second. Pip and Kinchen will hear all about them before their own story is said and done. So will Thanh and his sister Sang, who we meet in 1978 on a small boat as they try to escape post-war Vietnam. But after a storm and a pirate attack, they’re not sure they’ll ever see shore again. What brings these three sets of siblings together on an adventure of a lifetime is a little magic, helpful sea monsters and that very special portal, \u003ci\u003eA Crack in the Sea.\u003c\/i\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eA Crack in the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eWinter 2016-2017 Kids’ Indie Next Pick \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Midwest Connections Pick for January 2017\u003cbr\u003eA Maine Student Book Award 2018-2019 Reading List Pick for Grades 4-6 and 4-8\u003cbr\u003e A Sunshine State Young Readers Award Book 2018-2019 List Pick for Grades 6-8\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ★ “Through the \u003cb\u003ecaptivating interwoven tales\u003c\/b\u003e of these three sibling pairs—and with assistance from Shimizu’s \u003cb\u003epowerful ink illustrations\u003c\/b\u003e—Bouwman crafts a \u003cb\u003emoving narrative\u003c\/b\u003e about family, magic, morality, \u003cb\u003ethe power of storytelling\u003c\/b\u003e, and the cyclical nature of history.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This novel touches on sensitive and tragic moments in history and gives them fantastical remediation for \u003cb\u003ea provocative, immersive read\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Fans of Grace Lin will love this \u003cb\u003ewholly original book\u003c\/b\u003e that reads like a fairy tale. \u003cb\u003eA moving and thought-provoking choice\u003c\/b\u003e for library collections.”\u003ci\u003e—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A Crack in the Sea \u003c\/i\u003eis \u003cb\u003ea moving work of conscience and a numinously magical journey\u003c\/b\u003e. Trust this book.”—William Alexander, National Book Award–winning author of \u003ci\u003eGoblin Secrets\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bouwman weaves together these stories of freedom and escape with \u003cb\u003ea deep sense of respect and emotion\u003c\/b\u003e, bringing the reader directly into each family’s search for a safety that transcends both time and space.”—\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Bouwman ably weaves these threads together into \u003cb\u003ea curious, haunting whole\u003c\/b\u003e that references oppression, family, magic, and a human desperation for safety that transcends time and place. . . . Detailed black and white illustrations invite contemplation and work well to highlight key moments in the novel, adding artistic flair to the already \u003cb\u003elyrical story\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eBCCB\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fantasy fans will be drawn into this story and find it \u003cb\u003ehard to put down\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Connection \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[C]onstantly \u003cb\u003eengaging and enlightening\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003cb\u003e[T]his book will captivate readers\u003c\/b\u003e who like their fantasy spiced with real-life drama.”—\u003ci\u003eCommon Sense Media\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eThis complex, compelling, and thoughtful novel\u003c\/b\u003e begins in 1978 on Tathenn, a fantastical island world. . . . Bouwman has done her research well . . . keeping her young characters’ journeys—physical and emotional—front and center. Their tenderness, fierceness, bravery, thoughtfulness, and goodness \u003cb\u003ehighlight themes of family, leadership, and telling of history\u003c\/b\u003e. . . . Shimizu’s vivid interspersed black-and-white illustrations . . . add to the drama of the storytelling in this \u003cb\u003eoriginal and engrossing book\u003c\/b\u003e.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cb\u003eH.M. Bouwman \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Remarkable \u0026amp; Very True Story of Lucy \u0026amp; Snowcap \u003c\/i\u003e(Marshall Cavendish, 2008). An associate professor of English at the University of St. Thomas, she lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her two sons. \u003ci\u003eA Crack in the Sea \u003c\/i\u003eis her second novel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYuko Shimizu\u003c\/b\u003e is a Japanese illustrator based in New York City and an instructor at the School of Visual Arts. In 2009, \u003ci\u003eNewsweek Japan\u003c\/i\u003e chose Yuko as one of the “100 Japanese People the World Respects.” Yuko is the illustrator of the picture book \u003ci\u003eBarbed Wire Baseball\u003c\/i\u003e, and her work can also be seen on Gap T-shirts, Pepsi cans, Visa billboards, and Microsoft and Target ads, as well as on numerous book covers and in the pages of \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e and many others. |  \u003cbr\u003e After it sighed, the bag trembled. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Kinchen reached into her vest and pulled out her knife. What kind of clockwork had the Raft King left her? \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThere. \u003c\/i\u003eThe bundle twitched again. She took a step to­ward it. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The sack froze. Then it shuddered another shudder, al­most as if something inside were waking up. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Something. But what? \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Kinchen’s heart thrummed inside her throat; she could feel it knocking like it wanted to leap out of her mouth. She shook herself. \u003ci\u003eNot me, \u003c\/i\u003eshe told herself. \u003ci\u003eI’m never scared. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e No, she was definitely scared. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Whatever it was, she couldn’t leave now, not knowing. Kinchen took a deep breath. With her knife, she cut the rope that bound the bag shut, yanked the top open, and peered inside. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e It was— \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e A boy. Or maybe a girl—hard to tell in the dim inte­rior of the bag. Smaller than Kinchen. Dark-skinned, like Raftworld people tended to be. More than that she couldn’t see. Whoever it was, he or she lay on its side, bound and gagged, peering up at her, huge brown eyes blinking rapidly in the sudden light. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The Raft King’s clockwork trade was a person.","brand":"Puffin Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300086632677,"sku":"NP9780399545214","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780399545214.jpg?v=1767720393","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/a-crack-in-the-sea-isbn-9780399545214","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}