Pablo is constantly being uprooted from country to country since his parents divorced. He and his mother cannot settle anywhere for too long to call it a "home". His father is too busy off on his own to make time for Pablo. He gets a video call every once in a while, but Pablo often gets tongue tied talking to him. Pablo and his mom are currently living in the Philippines, and soon Pablo isn't only feeling homesick but he cannot even express all that he feels to his mom. Pablo has a lot of anxiety and his OCD tendencies and struggles to figure out how to cope. I think this book will let young readers be able to relate to all of the feelings that Pablo has and witnessing his journey through the end of the book. This book was a great escape and I adored the characters, their relationships, and the heartwarming ending.

Pablo is a character that you'll root for and want to help him along in life. Being afraid of so many things can be daunting and tiring. Pablo has had a tough life between his parents divorce and him moving with his mom from one country to the next, it's definitely been a tough road for him to find his place and to feel like he belongs. When he begins to face some of his biggest fears, he starts to learn more and more about his own courage and what it means to face things head on.

Twelve year old Pablo's parents have divorced and he has been living a somewhat transient life as his mom moves from various countries, Indonesia,Kenya, Costa Rica, and now the Philippines, for jobs in nature and animal preserves. Along the way, Pablo has developed anxieties about several everyday occurrences, but one involves the ocean, something that surrounds the Philippine Islands. The characters develop against the mesmerizing backdrop of the countryside and urban environs, and it was refreshing to have a majority of the adults not be dysfunctional. When the little girl Chique enters the story, Pablo's mom becomes obsessed with helping her, but the little girl is really the force that helps Pablo start to release the anxieties which have imprisoned his life. Character driven, with beautiful in writing and description. 5 stars.

This book squeezed my heart and then did it again. And again. And again. I'm probably biased since I'm a foster parent, but I loved the way the author tackled sensitive and hard subjects with humor and empathy. The main characters stole my heart and I can't wait for the author's next book.

*Thank you NetGalley and published for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

How to Make Friends with the Sea is so genuine. It touched my heart, and I love the bits of humor sprinkled throughout the book, too. I instantly connected with Pablo as I moved around frequently as a child as well. I loved watching Pablo grow through that difficulty in addition to his anxiety and insecurities.

I felt so invested in Pablo and his story from the beginning. I was rooting for him and Chiqui through their entire journey and I just loved the heartfelt ending. Watching their relationship develop throughout the book just melted my heart.

I think this is an important story to share - with students who move frequently, with students who struggle with their own mental illnesses, and with students who just love a good heartfelt story. I cannot wait to share Pablo's story with my fourth graders - I've already ordered it to add to our classroom library!

I enjoyed this book but something held me bad from really loving it. Pablo is a kid who is currently living in the Philippines with his mother (his father left the, five years prior and is pretty much absentee). This is his sixth move in five years and Pablo doesn't want to move again. He is starting to like his home, his friends (a family lives across the street and he becomes close with Happy, a girl about his age), and the animal sanctuary his mother works at. Pablo has always had problems with OCD (they never name the disorder); he counts things, is obsessed with germs, is afraid of water. All of these are exacerbated by all the moving. He doesn't tell his mother how deep these compulsions and feelings are. You see Pablo start to deal with these issues and come out of his shell when Chiqui, an orphan girl with a cleft palette, comes to stay with them. We see Pablo face fears and open up. I think what bothered me is we never see his mother try to get him professional help. Yes he starts to do things out of his comfort zone, but hearing his inner thoughts make the reader realize how bad it is. I also think there were times when the author forgot she was writing a middle grade book with a tween main character because some of his thoughts and words are a bit too mature, which would be fine if we saw where this would come from but we don't. It ended very satisfyingly, which I enjoyed.

He’s only twelve years old, but he’s lived in more countries than he can count. After his parents divorced, he and his mother have moved from place to place for years, never settling anywhere long enough to call it home. And along the way, Pablo has collected more and more fears: of dirt, of germs, and most of all, of the ocean.

Now they’re living in the Philippines, and his mother, a zoologist who works at a local wildlife refuge, is too busy saving animals to notice that Pablo might need saving, too. Then his mother takes in Chiqui, an orphaned girl with a craniofacial anomaly―and Pablo finds that through being strong for Chiqui, his own fears don’t seem so scary.

He might even find the courage to face his biggest fear of all…and learn how to make friends with the sea.

This book was a beautiful story of family, love, friendship and acceptance. I appreciate that it dealt with mental health and allowed readers a way to experience what someone with anxiety and OCD goes through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sharing a digital advanced copy of How to Make Friends with the Sea by Tanya Guerrero with me. This book will be published on March 31, 2020. All opinions are my own.

Pablo is a twelve-year-old boy who, following his parents' divorce, has moved more times than he can count. At the moment, he and his mother are living in the Philippines. Because of their moves, Pablo has had a hard time making friends and has developed many fears. He's afraid of germs, crowds, dirt, and, most of all, the ocean. His mother takes in a young orphaned girl, who they call Chiqui. She has a cleft lip and appears to be unable to speak. Pablo realizes that he needs to be strong not only for Chiqui, but for himself and he starts to work towards overcoming his fears.

How to Make Friends with the Sea was a very interesting read. This book had a lot of positive messages and covered many themes. The book doesn't seem to have a single focus. It's a bout Chiqui and her surgeries, her inability to communicate with others, and her desire to connect with someone. At the same time, it's about Pablo's anxiety, his strained relationship with his father, and his inability to communicate with his mother. It is a beautiful and powerful story. However, I will admit that it took me a little while to get into it. I think that is because it's not really plot driven. It's more of a thematic novel. Though I struggled getting into initially, the story is inspirational, and I believe this book would be a great additional to upper elementary and middle grade classroom libraries.

E ARC provided by Netgalley



Pablo parents are divorced, and h hasn't seen his American father for a while, since he is off on his own adventures while Pablo and his Spanish mother have moved from country to country. They have landed in the Philippines, where his mother is working in an animal sanctuary. While Pablo is glad to be in one place for a while, he is not a fan of the Philippines. It's damp, dirty, and far too close to the sea for his liking, although he doesn't want to tell his mother this. Instead, he keeps up with the lessons his tutor gives him, tries to control his environment, and longs to have some friends. When his mother takes in Chiqui, a foster child who has a cleft lip and is not speaking, he is forced to accept many situations he doesn't like. Slowly, he manages to make friends with Happy, a neighbor, as well as Miguel, his mother's boss, and many of his friends. With their help, he starts to overcome his many fears-- of the sea, germs, dogs, and anything outside of his comfort zone-- and to understand their genesis and future. When his mother tells him that Chiqui will be moved to a new family after the surgery for her cleft lip, Pablo must face his fears and finally tell his mother what he needs to have a happier and more successful life.

Strengths: This has some fascinating glimpses into life in the Philippines-- sari sari stores, Jollibee restaurants and food (ube!), tricycles for getting around town, and beach resorts. The inclusion of words and phrases in Tagalog (and the glossary at the back) was a nice touch. Pablo's OCD-like difficulties (which are not given a medical label) are nicely offset by his relationship with Chiqui, and it's good to see parents who are complex and problematic and not just deceased. Other topics, like moving frequently, trying to make friends, and dealing with a parent dating will make this a book to which many students can relate.

Weaknesses: Pablo frequently makes comments about the way of life in the Philippines that are not very complementary. While this is understandable, I would like to see more books like Flint's Ten or Nwaubani's Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree (BEFORE the main character is kidnapped) that portray the way of life in other countries as different from that in the US but not necessarily bad.

What I really think: I will purchase, but I would really like to see book set in the Philippines or with Filipino characters that are more positive. I have several students with this cultural background who want books about this area of the world, but I wonder when they will notice that everything I hand them shows more problems than anything else. What titles am I missing? All I can think of are Cheng's See You in the Universe, Carl Sagan, Cruz's Everlasting Nora, Hargrave's The Island at the End of Everything, Kelly's The Land of the Forgotten Girls, Torres' Lola: A Ghost Story,

Initial Impressions: Right away, I'm giving How to Make Friends With the Sea a star. At least for a reader with OCD and anxiety, it is unbelievably obvious that Pablo shares the conditions. But for once, OCD is presented accurately and politely! I personally have had too many run-ins with people who think OCD is a made-up condition or think it's just a fear of germs. I am already impressed with Guerrero's hinting to do with Pablo's insecurities and anxiety. This bodes well for the rest of the book!

Opinions: I am overwhelmed with the amount of positive things I can say about How to Make Friends With the Sea. To start, I will simply say it is a must-read for older elementary and younger middle schoolers because of its inspirational and exceptional themes. Even as a new adult, I learned so much through Pablo's conditions, Chiqui's perseverance, and Miguel's passion. I can't just applaud the plot, though. This story wouldn't be the same without Tanya Guerrero's detailed planning, realistic views on life, and desire to spread joy and wisdom. The structure of How to Make Friends With the Sea also must be noted. This book is about no one thing; it's not about a kid with anxiety. It's not about a Filipino girl. It's not about poor parental involvement. It is a mix of things, which makes it much more powerful. There are a range of ethnicities, mindsets, and very realistic situations represented. Because there are so many more elements of the book to talk about, I will make it easy by saying overall, How to Make Friends With the Sea deserves a full five stars without a doubt.

My Favourite Thing: Of course, my favourite thing is the representation of OCD and anxiety. I have suffered from both conditions since I was ten-years-old and have since been looking for a book that fairly presents either. Things like "Obsessive Christmas Decorator" and "Obsessive Coffee Drinker" is not a kind way to include yourself, nor is saying "Oh, I always wash my hands after I use the restroom, I'm so OCD." Guerrero ran the exact opposite direction and presented the condition properly. I loved the subtle hinting of Pablo's insecurity and constant awareness of his surroundings; I felt like somebody finally understands what it's like to never be able to relax. I adore Guerrero's attention to detail, appreciation for insecurity, and desire to be inclusive.

My Least Favourite Thing: There is not a single thing I can complain about but I have one small concern. Because How to Make Friends With the Sea is focused on themes rather than plot, I fear not many elementary students will read it. This book deserves to be read and it will change the lives of many children, it just needs more publicity to balance out the lack of magic and superheroes.

Recommended For and Similar Reads: How to Make Friends With the Sea has inspirational, life-changing themes that could easily influence young readers. Because of said themes, I endorse it being a classroom read for older elementary students. If you have read and loved Because of Winn-Dixie, Stargirl, or The Thing About Jellyfish, you should give How to Make Friends With the Sea a try!

I loved the realistic struggle Pablo experiences in navigating his anxiety and OCD, against the backdrop of constant upheaval as his is wildlife-worker mother continually relocates then, this time to the Philippines. It's an excellent and sensitive portrayal that reminded me of another one of my favourite books, Lisa Thompson's mystery The Goldfish Boy. A great choice for young readers who love stories about bravery and family. I especially loved seeing Pablo go from dreading young Chiqui coming to live with them, to standing up at last to his mother's roaming ways and insisting all three of them become a family.