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Wind Riders #3
Shipwreck in Seal Bay
Hop aboard Wind Rider , a magical sailboat, with Max and Sofia, two ordinary kids trying to save the environment one problem at a time. Their third mission? Saving harbor seals from an oil spill! You never know where Wind Rider will take you... Max and Sofia's summer vacation gets wild when they stumble upon an abandoned sailboat in the mangrove forest. They’re given the chance to make a real impact when the boat magically transports them to a different corner of the world to help other kids save their environment! Wind Riders: Shipwreck in Seal Bay is the third book in an illustrated adventure chapter book series. Each story visits a new location and introduces a human-made problem that's endangering animals and the environment. With nature’s highest stakes and environmental activism baked into each book, as well as fun scientific facts included at the end, Wind Riders is a great chapter book series for newly independent readers who love nature documentaries, taking action, and learning about the world around them. There is beautiful two-color art throughout and an emphasis on collaborative problem-solving, compassion for the Earth and all its inhabitants, and friendship. Wind Riders is the perfect STEM chapter book series for fans of Magic Tree House, The Magic School Bus, and Zoey and Sassafras .
128 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2022
9 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 21, 2025
My summer school students (3rd graders) enjoyed this book as well as the previous two. This adventure begins with Sofia and Max helping a Scottish girl rescue her boat, and it ends with them rescuing seals from an oil spill. There wasn't a plot twist in this story, the way there was in the second book. It was a fun challenge to attempt a Scottish accent during read-aloud.
March 11, 2024
Knyga patraukė dviem raktiniais žodžiais-ruoniai ir Škotija, taip pat mielos iliustracijos. Istorija sukurta ant vieno kurpaliaus, dirbtinoka. Bet galbūt skaitant aštuonmečiui ir visai faina. Labiausiai nuvylė vertimas į lietuvių kalbą, redaktoriaus darbas-jis prastas (irklu žarsto vandenį ir kt.).
July 3, 2022
If you need books for your new chapter book readers, this series is great! The Wind Rider is an old boat that transports Max and his friend, Sophia, to Scotland. There is a book in the lower level of the boat that flips to the map and information about the area as in the other titles. There is a chest that magically has exactly what they will need to help, though they don't know at first what that will be this time. They meet Maisie who has lost her late grandma's fishing boat in this big storm. After the storm when the 3 kids go to get the boat, they find there is an oil leak that will endanger local wildlife. I love the way the kids use STEAM-like thinking to solve the problem and save the animals!
Jen Marlin's story is strong in plot, but light in characterization. The chapters are short with great white space to support new chapter book readers and Marta Kissi's illustrations on nearly every page support the readers, as well. With the bonus of geographical and environmental connections, this series is a first purchase for my schools!
Jen Marlin's story is strong in plot, but light in characterization. The chapters are short with great white space to support new chapter book readers and Marta Kissi's illustrations on nearly every page support the readers, as well. With the bonus of geographical and environmental connections, this series is a first purchase for my schools!
June 14, 2023
When I first saw Wind Riders: Rescue on Turtle Beach at my local library, it immediately caught my eye. After pulling the book off the shelf, I quickly realized that the visual allure went beyond the beautifully illustrated cover. The illustrations sprinkled throughout this early reader chapter book spoke of adventure on the high seas. I knew the four-book series needed to come home with me.
The Wind Riders, a magical tale of adventure and wildlife rescue, did not disappoint. The books have something for everyone. Whether your little bookworm is all about wildlife, sailing, or adventure, this series is sure to make it to the top of their charts.
Ready for Adventure?
Book one opens with new friends, Max and Sophia, on a mission to help a seagull tangled in a fishing line. The pair stumbles upon a rundown sailboat called Wind Rider. After the seemingly forgotten sailboat transports them to Hawaii Max and Sophia realize there is far more to Wind Rider than meets the eye.
The pair completes their wildlife rescue mission with the help of some new friends. When they return to their home, Starry Bay, they find that no time has passed and Wind Rider looks like an old forgotten sailboat once again.
Books two, three, and four (at the time of this writing the series is a quartette) follow a similar storyline. Sophia and Max are summoned by the trusty Seagull and transported by Wind Rider to rescue an animal in need. Along the way, readers are introduced to different people, places, and animals.
While the location and the details of each mission differ from book to book the general outline remains the same. This familiar structure may be appealing to some readers, particularly those who are passionate about wildlife rescue. But for readers who are more interested in action and adventure this familiar structure may feel repetitive. I think this would be more apparent to older readers.
Beyond the structure of the plot, there are elements of this story that make it a high-quality read, especially compared to other books in the early reader chapter book space.
Despite the beautiful illustrations throughout all four books the author, Jen Marlin, still uses imagery in her writing, which is something I have found to be lacking in many children’s books.
Something else that stood out to me was the overwhelmingly positive character interaction. There is no name-calling or poor behavior in these books. Max and Sophia are great role models for any young reader. Their goals are noble. But most importantly, they treat each other and the people they meet on their adventures with kindness and respect, even when their circumstances are less than ideal.
Protagonists with good character are something that I’ve found to be a bit of a rarity in early readers. While I think there can still be value in books with less likable protagonists Wind Riders stands out because of its role-model characters.
All in all, I think Wind Riders is an excellent choice for any reader in the series’ target age range of 6-10-year-olds. These books tell an uplifting story of wildlife rescue carried out by kindhearted people.
There is no name-calling, poor behavior, or inappropriate language. Consequently, I think this book would be a great choice for an independent read for children reading at a second or third-grade reading level. As an adult, I thought these books were fun which makes them a great choice for a family read-aloud.
However, you choose to share these books with your little bookworm Wind Riders is a wholesome story parents can feel good about.
You can find the rest of my reviews at www.faithfullittlebookworms.com
The Wind Riders, a magical tale of adventure and wildlife rescue, did not disappoint. The books have something for everyone. Whether your little bookworm is all about wildlife, sailing, or adventure, this series is sure to make it to the top of their charts.
Ready for Adventure?
Book one opens with new friends, Max and Sophia, on a mission to help a seagull tangled in a fishing line. The pair stumbles upon a rundown sailboat called Wind Rider. After the seemingly forgotten sailboat transports them to Hawaii Max and Sophia realize there is far more to Wind Rider than meets the eye.
The pair completes their wildlife rescue mission with the help of some new friends. When they return to their home, Starry Bay, they find that no time has passed and Wind Rider looks like an old forgotten sailboat once again.
Books two, three, and four (at the time of this writing the series is a quartette) follow a similar storyline. Sophia and Max are summoned by the trusty Seagull and transported by Wind Rider to rescue an animal in need. Along the way, readers are introduced to different people, places, and animals.
While the location and the details of each mission differ from book to book the general outline remains the same. This familiar structure may be appealing to some readers, particularly those who are passionate about wildlife rescue. But for readers who are more interested in action and adventure this familiar structure may feel repetitive. I think this would be more apparent to older readers.
Beyond the structure of the plot, there are elements of this story that make it a high-quality read, especially compared to other books in the early reader chapter book space.
Despite the beautiful illustrations throughout all four books the author, Jen Marlin, still uses imagery in her writing, which is something I have found to be lacking in many children’s books.
Something else that stood out to me was the overwhelmingly positive character interaction. There is no name-calling or poor behavior in these books. Max and Sophia are great role models for any young reader. Their goals are noble. But most importantly, they treat each other and the people they meet on their adventures with kindness and respect, even when their circumstances are less than ideal.
Protagonists with good character are something that I’ve found to be a bit of a rarity in early readers. While I think there can still be value in books with less likable protagonists Wind Riders stands out because of its role-model characters.
All in all, I think Wind Riders is an excellent choice for any reader in the series’ target age range of 6-10-year-olds. These books tell an uplifting story of wildlife rescue carried out by kindhearted people.
There is no name-calling, poor behavior, or inappropriate language. Consequently, I think this book would be a great choice for an independent read for children reading at a second or third-grade reading level. As an adult, I thought these books were fun which makes them a great choice for a family read-aloud.
However, you choose to share these books with your little bookworm Wind Riders is a wholesome story parents can feel good about.
You can find the rest of my reviews at www.faithfullittlebookworms.com
February 23, 2023
The Wind Rider has a new adventure and animal rescue for Max and Sofia. This time it takes them to Scotland where a storm will cause a runaway boat to crash and endanger the local harbor seals with an oil spill. Can they stop the oil spill from spreading and keep the animals away from the dangerous substance?
I like the variety of locations and creatures this series takes readers to visit. Scotland is so different from the Amazon River they visited on the last adventure. This adventure provides a little look at how oil spills are cleaned up and animals that get in the oil are cared for. The illustrations are cute, and Sofia and Max make another new friend while learning about more animals and animal rescues. Hand this to animal lovers and fans of series that will take them all over the world.
Notes on content: Only one animal gets in the oil and it is quickly rehabbed (realistically, the book talks about other animals who take much longer to recover form oil spill run ins).
I like the variety of locations and creatures this series takes readers to visit. Scotland is so different from the Amazon River they visited on the last adventure. This adventure provides a little look at how oil spills are cleaned up and animals that get in the oil are cared for. The illustrations are cute, and Sofia and Max make another new friend while learning about more animals and animal rescues. Hand this to animal lovers and fans of series that will take them all over the world.
Notes on content: Only one animal gets in the oil and it is quickly rehabbed (realistically, the book talks about other animals who take much longer to recover form oil spill run ins).
October 8, 2023
Another short but good book
The adventures and magic remind me of the Magic Tree house series but these are still cute and fun. I like the fun facts at the end and I know my girls will like them when they read them too.
The adventures and magic remind me of the Magic Tree house series but these are still cute and fun. I like the fun facts at the end and I know my girls will like them when they read them too.
February 15, 2023
Magic Tree House with an environmental emphasis. My oldest likes these. Well-written, plenty of entertaining moments but I appreciate that thoughtfulness is sprinkled amongst the adventure.
November 6, 2023
Early chapter book with animal adventure. I like that the kids sought adult help for the baby seal.
A3.5R3K3
A3.5R3K3
January 7, 2024
when they stoped the oil spill.
March 2, 2024
4.25 stars
March 23, 2025
my kids made me do a scottish accent for the scottish character when reading this and it was mortifying <3
April 26, 2025
Really good book. I liked how it combines the perfect mix of fiction, adventure, and real things (such as oil booms).
July 20, 2025
This book encourages you to save the seas.Lots of educational ideas.
May 20, 2022
Love this book series. Great read a loud to my kiddos. Rescues that are engaging and educational.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews