Consider the Octopus

Faith in coincidence buoys this optimistic, seafaring comedy of errors, told from two cued-white 12-year-olds’ alternating perspectives. Jeremy “JB” Barnes is the seasickness-prone son of a lead scientist aboard Oceania II, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel on a mission to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Meanwhile, ocean-obsessed Sidney Miller is desperately trying to avoid going to summer camp. When Jeremy is tasked with inviting scientists to attend an impromptu publicity campaign, he mistakenly invites Sidney, who, with assistance from her Jewish nana (a believer in synchronicity and the philosophy of tikkun olam, or “repairing the world”), conspires to board the ship. Rather than admit his error, Jeremy sneaks Sidney in under the name of a no-show student. Mistaken identity and slapstick comedy mingle with grim facts about microplastics and marine debris, culminating in the duo’s attempt to lure a world-famous environmental reporter to the campaign to raise global awareness for the cleanup effort. In their latest collaboration, Baskin and Polisner’s (Seven Clues to Home) upbeat eco-adventure combines fiction with real-world issues and affirms that kids can bring about change. Ages 8–12. Agents: (for Baskin) Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary; (for Polisner) Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)