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Shark Bait
Mokes is 12, and he knows he's supposed to stay out of town Saturday night when the Navy comes ashore. But tonight's the night when his hero, tough-guy Booley, has vowed to get revenge on a sailor. He's got to be there! One Mokes's Dad is the chief of police.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 1997
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Graham Salisbury
32 books99 followersGraham Salisbury comes from a 100-year line of newspapermen, all associated with Hawaii's morning paper, the Honolulu Advertiser. Although a career as a newsman could have been possible, Salisbury chose to imagine rather than report. "I enjoy writing about characters who might have been. To me, exploring fictional themes, situations, and lives is a quietly exhilarating experience. There are times when completely unexpected happenings take place as my fingertips walk the keyboard, things that make me laugh or get all choked up or even amaze me."
Salisbury's drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident throughout his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. And if my stories show characters choosing certain life options, and the possible consequences of having chosen those options, then I will have done something worthwhile."
His books -- Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz and his short stories, too -- have been celebrated widely with praise and distinguished awards. Graham Salisbury, winner of the PEN/Norma Klein Award, grew up on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. Later, he graduated from California State University, Northridge, and received an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. In fact, he was a member of the founding faculty of Vermont College's highly successful MFA program in Writing for Children, now the Union Institute & University.
Other important things to know about this author: He worked as the skipper of a glass-bottom boat, as a deckhand on a deep-sea charter fishing boat, and as an Montessori elementary school teacher. His
rock-and-roll band, The Millennium, had a number one hit in the Philippines, which he composed. He once surfed with a shark, got stung by a Portuguese man-of-war (several times!), and swam for his life from a moray eel. Believe it or not, he didn't wear shoes until the sixth grade and never saw snow until he was nineteen. Graham Salisbury now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.
Salisbury's drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident throughout his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. And if my stories show characters choosing certain life options, and the possible consequences of having chosen those options, then I will have done something worthwhile."
His books -- Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz and his short stories, too -- have been celebrated widely with praise and distinguished awards. Graham Salisbury, winner of the PEN/Norma Klein Award, grew up on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. Later, he graduated from California State University, Northridge, and received an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. In fact, he was a member of the founding faculty of Vermont College's highly successful MFA program in Writing for Children, now the Union Institute & University.
Other important things to know about this author: He worked as the skipper of a glass-bottom boat, as a deckhand on a deep-sea charter fishing boat, and as an Montessori elementary school teacher. His
rock-and-roll band, The Millennium, had a number one hit in the Philippines, which he composed. He once surfed with a shark, got stung by a Portuguese man-of-war (several times!), and swam for his life from a moray eel. Believe it or not, he didn't wear shoes until the sixth grade and never saw snow until he was nineteen. Graham Salisbury now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 7, 2018
This book was good, though it wasn't as good as some of his other books. I would still recommend it for a read. This took me way longer to read than I expected. A full review will be up on the blog soon
March 17, 2017
I love Graham Salisbury, and his writing is super important to me because I have a number of Pacific Islander kids in my class each year and am able to use his books as a jumping off point to enjoying reading. We need diverse books in order to reach all kids.
His voice is authentic, and the story line is plausible and it has a worthwhile message. There's the internal struggle to be cool, to give in to peer pressure, and also to try to maintain trust with parents and one's own personal sense of integrity.
One would not have to be an islander to enjoy this book, and I'd recommend it for grades 4-8.
His voice is authentic, and the story line is plausible and it has a worthwhile message. There's the internal struggle to be cool, to give in to peer pressure, and also to try to maintain trust with parents and one's own personal sense of integrity.
One would not have to be an islander to enjoy this book, and I'd recommend it for grades 4-8.
June 27, 2012
12 yr old Monke tries hard to do what his father the sheriff says. On a Hawaiian Island a navy destroyer is coming to town, which brings many sailors a shore for R & R. But the teen girls and guys who live on the island are ready for a fight with the "milk bottles". 17 yr old Booley is definitely out for revenge since his mother ran off w/one of the swabbies. A missing gun, hot tempers and young blood make for a climatic ending where many life's lessons are learned by the choices we make.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews