Book details
The Missing Manatee
A Mystery About Fishing and Family
Author: Cynthia DeFelice
The Missing Manatee
$11.99
About This Book
Book Details
A tribute to Florida, fishing, and family
All Skeet Waters wants is to catch a big, beautiful tarpon on his fly rod - and to keep everything else in his life in Florida the way it's always been. But on his spring break from school, Skeet overhears his mother telling his father to move out permanently. Then, while riding in his boat to escape his parents' troubles, he discovers a manatee that's been shot in the head. Skeet puts aside his search for the manatee and its killer when Dirty Dan the Tarpon Man offers to take him out to catch his first tarpon on a fly. Because of Dan, Skeet begins to
unravel the mysteries surrounding the manatee's apparent murder and his parents' dissolving marriage.
Skeet discovers that life is a lot like tarpon fishing, in which you can't look just at the surface of the water - you have to look through it, at what lies beneath.
The Missing Manatee is a nominee for the 2006 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.
Imprint Publisher
Square Fish
ISBN
9780374400200
Reading Guide
In The News
“DeFelice delivers a fast-paced mystery with a strong sense of place. Strong characters and an effective first-person narration...create an exciting whole, sure to hook readers.” —Booklist
“DeFelice keenly evokes the feel of a Gulf fishing town...the reader's empathy will be engaged as Skeet discovers that things aren't always what they seem.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The characters shine. Readers will savor the story.” —VOYA
“DeFelice offers a realistic adventure story that is fast paced and full of drama. The characters are multifaceted and well developed, and the story should prompt readers to think about cause and effect.” —School Library Journal
“A great mystery.” —SIGNAL