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Wind Riders #4
Whale Song of Puffin Cliff
Join Max and Sofia, two kids trying to save the environment one problem at a time with their magical sailboat. Their latest mission? Cleaning up the plastic waste that's hurting puffins and belugas in Iceland.
In Starry Bay, summer vacation means snorkeling for sea glass by the beach, until Max and Sofia come across an abandoned sailboat. With a spin of the wheel, Wind Rider transports them to animals who need their help! This time, they drop anchor in Iceland's frigid waters, where Max and Sofia team up with the Puffin Patrol, a group of Icelandic kids who protect and preserve the local puffin colony. But it seems that the puffins aren't the only ones in trouble. Max and Sofia will have to think fast to save a beached beluga whale.
In Starry Bay, summer vacation means snorkeling for sea glass by the beach, until Max and Sofia come across an abandoned sailboat. With a spin of the wheel, Wind Rider transports them to animals who need their help! This time, they drop anchor in Iceland's frigid waters, where Max and Sofia team up with the Puffin Patrol, a group of Icelandic kids who protect and preserve the local puffin colony. But it seems that the puffins aren't the only ones in trouble. Max and Sofia will have to think fast to save a beached beluga whale.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2022
7 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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
October 25, 2023
When the seagull shows up, Max and Sofia know it is time for another trip. This time they are taken to Iceland where they help the local Puffin Patrol clean up plastic and then help save a beached baby beluga whale.
This Wind Riders helps readers understand why it is important to reduce plastic waste and clean up beaches. I like the Icelandic setting as there are so few books set in Iceland for kids.
This Wind Riders helps readers understand why it is important to reduce plastic waste and clean up beaches. I like the Icelandic setting as there are so few books set in Iceland for kids.
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January 30, 2023Basically the Magic Treehouse series, but with a boat instead of a treehouse and an environmental save the animals theme. Kids will probably want to read them in order, but the books give just enough background you could probably jump in anywhere.
I did like the backmatter, giving kids facts about the animals in the book and concrete ways they can get involved in helping the environment.
I did like the backmatter, giving kids facts about the animals in the book and concrete ways they can get involved in helping the environment.
August 25, 2022
Loved it!
October 4, 2022
My son and I love this series. Would be great for book reports or just good conversation starters about wildlife preservation or rescue.
November 8, 2023
Fine book in the series, I like that the kids contacted the proper authorities and followed their instructions.
A2.5R2.5K3
A2.5R2.5K3
January 7, 2024
when they saved the whale.
July 15, 2025
This book encourages you to save the seas. Lots of educational ideas.
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. I do wish that the author's note made it clear that in real life children should never approach a wild animal on their own. I realize this is "fantasy" with children being whisked off in a magical sailboat but with the real-world situations presented (in this case, rescuing a beached whale and removing plastic trash from puffin nesting grounds) I could see a well-meaning child try to help an animal in real life and have it backfire terribly.
November 25, 2022
This chapter book was a great adventure. And having the kid characters feel empowered to help address the plastic pollution problem was great.
I was just disappointed that the characters didn't do the obvious thing to help address the problem at the source. They organized beach clean-ups, which of course helps. But they found two pieces of plastic trash clearly branded as being from a specific restaurant chain and I was sure they were going to reach out to that restaurant chain to ask them to eliminate single-use plastic...but they didn't.
I was just disappointed that the characters didn't do the obvious thing to help address the problem at the source. They organized beach clean-ups, which of course helps. But they found two pieces of plastic trash clearly branded as being from a specific restaurant chain and I was sure they were going to reach out to that restaurant chain to ask them to eliminate single-use plastic...but they didn't.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews