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Mysteries in Our National Parks #10
Out Of The Deep
Wildlife veterinarian Olivia Landon and her family are in Maine, investigating the mysterious strandings of marine mammals on the rocky beaches of Acadia National Park. With the family is 14-year-old Bindy Callister, a temporary ward who has been bullied by her older brother. Jack, Ashley, and Bindy come upon a baby humpback whale stranded in a rocky tidal pool and barely alive. During the complex rescue operation that follows, no one notices when Bindy wanders off. By the time Jack and Ashley find her, Bindy is acting very strange. She knows who' s causing the strandings but is afraid to tell. Jack and Ashley must get her to talk before more lives are endangered!
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
10 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Skurzynski
90 books30 followers"May you live in interesting times."
That ambiguous wish was not meant to be kind, because interesting times can be difficult. You and I certainly live in interesting times - dangerous, challenging, and fascinating.
My parents were born just before the start of the twentieth century; my youngest grandchild arrived in this century's final decade. The years in between have been the most dynamic in the history of the human race. Technical knowledge has exploded; so has the Earth's human population. We can create almost anything, yet each day we lose parts of our planet that can never be replaced.
I'm greedy: I want to write about all of it - the history, the grief, joy, and excitement of being human in times past; the cutting-edge inventions of times almost here.
--from the author's website
Gloria Skurzynski has also co-written books with her daughter Alane Ferguson.
That ambiguous wish was not meant to be kind, because interesting times can be difficult. You and I certainly live in interesting times - dangerous, challenging, and fascinating.
My parents were born just before the start of the twentieth century; my youngest grandchild arrived in this century's final decade. The years in between have been the most dynamic in the history of the human race. Technical knowledge has exploded; so has the Earth's human population. We can create almost anything, yet each day we lose parts of our planet that can never be replaced.
I'm greedy: I want to write about all of it - the history, the grief, joy, and excitement of being human in times past; the cutting-edge inventions of times almost here.
--from the author's website
Gloria Skurzynski has also co-written books with her daughter Alane Ferguson.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 27, 2021
AR POINTS: 5.0 READING LEVEL: 5.1
(Ages 8-12, grades 3-7)
This story is just so-so! I thought the story would focus more on whales, but it seemed to focus more on Bindy, the foster girl who everyone thought was literally a big fat liar. Her parents had died and she was adopted by an aunt who had a son. This son was golden-boy. He was a high school football star and very well liked. Bindy, on the other hand, was chunky, heavyset, over ate, all this the author made very clear. Golden-boy had a hidden mean streak and would beat up on Bindy.
Bindy finally got brave enough to tell her Aunt and Uncle but they didn’t believe her. It caused so much trouble in the family that they decided to throw her into the foster system where she would end up with the Landon family, who had two kids Jack and Ashley. Their mother was a scientist who studied the mysterious deaths of sea mammals. She was called to travel to Maine when suddenly there were 12 different varieties of sea mammals washed up onto the shore at Bar Harbor. Most were dead, but few were in the process of being stranded.
Where the story goes a little awry is when the kids find themselves in a dangerous adult crime situation by trying to solve the mystery themselves. There wasn’t too much written about whales, themselves, but the author does add an Afterward on true facts about whales and how sonar causes them to beach. The little bits and pieces of this story regarding whales are based on true facts.
The story just wasn’t what I thought it “could” be. Younger kids might find it interesting or boring. I’m just not even sure.
(Ages 8-12, grades 3-7)
This story is just so-so! I thought the story would focus more on whales, but it seemed to focus more on Bindy, the foster girl who everyone thought was literally a big fat liar. Her parents had died and she was adopted by an aunt who had a son. This son was golden-boy. He was a high school football star and very well liked. Bindy, on the other hand, was chunky, heavyset, over ate, all this the author made very clear. Golden-boy had a hidden mean streak and would beat up on Bindy.
Bindy finally got brave enough to tell her Aunt and Uncle but they didn’t believe her. It caused so much trouble in the family that they decided to throw her into the foster system where she would end up with the Landon family, who had two kids Jack and Ashley. Their mother was a scientist who studied the mysterious deaths of sea mammals. She was called to travel to Maine when suddenly there were 12 different varieties of sea mammals washed up onto the shore at Bar Harbor. Most were dead, but few were in the process of being stranded.
Where the story goes a little awry is when the kids find themselves in a dangerous adult crime situation by trying to solve the mystery themselves. There wasn’t too much written about whales, themselves, but the author does add an Afterward on true facts about whales and how sonar causes them to beach. The little bits and pieces of this story regarding whales are based on true facts.
The story just wasn’t what I thought it “could” be. Younger kids might find it interesting or boring. I’m just not even sure.
May 11, 2015
This book went in a totally different direction than what I expected. Appeared to be a book about whales and saving them. Ended up being a silly kids' mystery book about government conspiracies and kids solving mysteries in totally irresponsible ways. It's all perpetrated by this family's foster child who drags their children into her drama. In the end, the foster child who cried wolf, with her tall tales, ends up solving why the whales are dying and proves herself to be capable of telling the truth. It's never confirmed whether her other stories are true. But it's a happy ending for her, the whales, and the family even though she makes them look quite bad for a while. It should be geared towards preteens. Lots of stealing, sneaking away from parents, kidnapping, and threats of violence that's probably not the best lessons for younger kids.
June 26, 2023
“Out of the Deep” 3.8/5 ⭐⭐⭐.8
I liked how informative some parts of the book were. Not a bad young adult book but honestly, I didn't like the way the heroine was. It’s so dangerous for kids to disobey their parents just to act like a heroine. Yes, it is a children’s book but when the violence came in the part of the stories, I find it disturbing and sickening for kids to be involved. But I love how well-written it is. In my opinion, I wouldn't recommend this book to kids underaged because they’d find this depressing. There’s child neglect and fat phobia in this book. This book is only for young adults, not minors 🔞. But I liked how fast-paced and easy to read it is.
I liked how informative some parts of the book were. Not a bad young adult book but honestly, I didn't like the way the heroine was. It’s so dangerous for kids to disobey their parents just to act like a heroine. Yes, it is a children’s book but when the violence came in the part of the stories, I find it disturbing and sickening for kids to be involved. But I love how well-written it is. In my opinion, I wouldn't recommend this book to kids underaged because they’d find this depressing. There’s child neglect and fat phobia in this book. This book is only for young adults, not minors 🔞. But I liked how fast-paced and easy to read it is.
December 28, 2017
In my opinion, the National Park book series is only ok, but Mav likes them.
May 22, 2020
Good middle grade read...probably better for higher readers or middle school.
September 29, 2021
has a lot of fatphobia
April 14, 2008
This is my first experience with the Mysteries in Our National Parks series, and while a neat idea, there's a lot missing in this book. As an adult reading a childrens' book, I found the suspense only so-so and the ending totally unbelievable. But, children reading this will probably love how the children are the ones to solve the mystery. I think this mystery book would be appropriate for upper elementary to early middle school age children.
May 21, 2014
I thought this book was great because you never knew what was going to happen next. If you like a book that makes you think this is it.When Bindy disappears you wander where she is and what the crazy foster child is up to. And when the whales beach you have to think why. Its hard to tell if Bindy is telling the truth you can be the judge if she is or isn't. You should read this to find out the mystery about what is killing the whales.
Read
June 9, 2015The book out of the deep is an amazing it starts of by a 14 yr old girl named bindy finds a find a baby humpback whale that has beached and Jack and Ashley try to help but Bindy sneak s away and started acting odd and that because she nows what's doing this but bindy doesn't want to say it . Read this this book if you want to find out who's doing it.
September 9, 2019
Read this years ago before a trip to Maine and my parents were kind enough to take us on a spur of the moment trip to Thunder Hole and it was simply amazing! This series made me want to visit all of the national parks and I still have a lot to go.
January 10, 2009
read in fourth grade....was so good
Read
May 8, 2010that whales can end stranded on beaches
May 29, 2011
Good, clean children's mystery about Acadia National Park in Maine (on my bucket list). I think this series is perfect for fifth graders and my students have been passing them around.
November 15, 2011
Save the whales! The kids get involved in a mystery regarding beached whales. Fast paced and easy to read.
August 27, 2012
This is a book for kids but I liked it nonetheless, maybe because I have spent so much time in Acadia National Park. If I were a kid I would read this entire series.
February 19, 2016
Probably one of my favorites of this series!
January 22, 2016
Not a bad YA book but did not like the way the heroine was handled.
December 31, 2017
Entertaining and touches on young adult themes. Good scientific content.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews