Fishy Fun

neptune project

 

Polly Holyoke’s debut MG novel is, dare we say it, making some waves.  Polly grew up in Colorado, where she spent her childhood skiing, camping, reading, and dreaming up fantastical stories.  Colorado is kind of far from the sea, but thanks to her husband she discovered scuba diving and has been diving all over the world.  A former middle school social studies teacher, she’s now a full time writer who lives in Plano, Texas with her husband and their two daughters, as well as two cats, two Chihuahuas, and a Beagle.

From Indiebound:

“With her awkward limbs, pale-bordering-on-translucent skin, and lungs so weak that she’s often left gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she feels so much more comfortable and confident in water than on land, but everything falls into place when Nere learns that she is one of a group of kids who-unbeknownst to them-have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of “The Neptune Project” will be able to build a better future under the sea, safe from the barren country’s famine, wars, and harsh laws.
But there are some very big problems: no one asked Nere if she wanted to be a science experiment, the other Neptune kids aren’t exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim through hundreds of miles of dangerous waters, relying only on their wits, dolphins, and each other to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids…dead or alive.
Fierce battles and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friends race to safety in this action-packed aquatic adventure.”

An interesting side note: Like her heroine, Polly is claustrophobic and never dives in wrecks!

Polly is giving away a signed copy, as well as a bookmark and dolphin necklace.  To be eligible, please leave a comment below.

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Tricia Springstubb
writer
Tricia is the author of many books for middle grade, most recently "Every Single Second" (HarperCollins) and the third book in the Cody series, "Cody and the Rules of Life" (Candlewick Press). A frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and conferences, she lives in Cleveland OH. You can find out more about her and her work at www.triciaspringstubb.com
13 Comments
  1. Sounds like a fun summer read for a beach vacation!

  2. I’ve been coveting this beauty for months and my public library still has no copies available yet. 🙁

  3. Sounds great! Can’t wait to read and share with my students!

  4. Sounds like it’s right up my alley!

  5. Very intriguing. Can’t wait to read.

  6. Love the premise!

  7. This looks adorable…so fun!

  8. I’m always on the lookout for good science fiction for my students. This looks great – with a good Kirkus review!

  9. Sounds like a fun book. Swimming was my life as a kid!

  10. what a clever and fascinating twist! sounds like a great adventure novel.

  11. Looking forward to reading this with my daughter this summer:)

  12. Great concept for a summer read! Cover art is attractive also.

  13. Fascinating concept. Thanks for sharing this unusual book.