It's a simple story. A girl who has a love and passion for snorkeling finds a way to convince her parents to travel to Roatan to snorkel. She discovers that there is so much beauty and wonder to behold, however the climate is affecting that beauty and it's frustrating her-- just like her little brother. She ends up having to sit out of some of the dives because of an infection but also uses her smarts to help her brother out of his own diving mishap with jellyfish.

It's a book with a message, a sweet main character, and a very literal storyline. I dare say (and not in a derogatory way) an easy read. Seeing the full publication will be nice since the advanced copy only has sketches where pictures will be which will certainly enhance it's appeal as evidenced by the vibrant front cover.

A delightful, quick read, recommended for 3rd to 6th grades. Gracie loves to snorkel and plan things. She does a lot of travel research to convince her parents to take the family on a spring break trip to the Island of Roatán in Honduras, where she looks forward to snorkeling for a week. She wants her pesky little brother to learn to love snorkeling too, so that one day she might convince her parents to take a big trio to the. Alice’s for snorkeling. Once on Roatán, the family connects with a local family who are working to preserve the coral reefs against climate change and man-made destruction. Through her new friend Alina, Gracie learns more about the coral reefs than she ever knew and her passions grow. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a preview.

A really cute introduction for young readers into the current state of coral reefs. I loved how supportive Gracie's parents were and the way her relationship with her brother developed.

Linda Sue Park spins her magic on snorkeling, coral preservation, and Roatan in this adorable new book. Gracie loves snorkeling and REALLY wants to go to the Maldives, but it's too far away and too expensive. So she hatches a plan to go to Roatan and is pleasantly surprised when her parents agree. Snorkeling in Roatan is even better than she imagined, but not without peril. Gracie makes new friends and learns more about coral and coral reefs than she ever imagined. In addition to terrific characters, this story has a lot of factual information about the degradation of corals and coral reefs as well as the scientific efforts to bring back coral to places where they have died. The vivid descriptions of the beautiful fish and coral will lure readers in. Kids are going to love this one.

Gracie Under Waves is a warm novel with themes of climate change, family, friendship and sibling dynamics.

Gracie is a spunky main character who knows what she wants and goes after it. She’s got flaws, and a little brother who gets on her nerves, both of which will endear her to readers.

One of the book’s biggest draws is the snorkeling element, and Linda Sue Park does a great job transporting you to the ocean floor. Park incorporates a lot of science/environmental issues here that many readers will find fascinating and would work well with different units within school curriculums.

Gracie Under Waves is a fairly short novel (176 pages) that moves quickly. It will particularly appeal to kids that enjoy a good story without all the tween drama/angst.

What a relevant and eye-opening book for my elementary school students, grades 2-5!
Gracie loves snorkeling, although living in NY cramps her enthusiasm a bit. Through a mixture of diligence and creativity, she and her family vacation in Honduras, a select spot for her passion.
Young readers will have fun identifying with Gracie, the big sister, and new friend. It's especially timely, touching upon climate change and the environment. After finishing the book, the author does a superb job of suggesting how the reader can contribute to understanding climate change and what a young reader can do about it. The story is great and its message necessary.\
Park, once again, has written a memorable story!

Gracie loves to snorkel but living in Western New York makes it difficult. She convinces her family to take a trip to Honduras so she can once again snorkel. This is a quick book with a great environmental message. At times it felt didactic, and therefore I think more sophisticated readers might be turned off by the story. For that reason, I think the audience for this book is 2nd-4th graders.

Gracie Under the Waves is a heartwarming tale of a young girl's passion for the ocean. Gracie's love of snorkeling fuels her dream of exploring the vibrant coral reefs of Roatan, Honduras. During a family spring break, she gets her wish, but a sudden injury threatens to dampen her adventure. Despite the setback, Gracie forms a deep connection with the local marine life and discovers a pressing environmental crisis jeopardizing the reef. With newfound determination, she rallies her family and friends to become advocates for ocean conservation. Through vivid descriptions and inspiring characters, readers will be captivated by Gracie's journey of discovery, perseverance, and environmental activism.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an interesting read about coral reefs. It is a little heavy handed with protecting the environment.

Linda Sue Parks is one of those authors that never disappoints. Her stories have heart and amazing characters. I am adding this book to my novel group studies. It has an a mix of science terminology all while blending elements of fiction and author’s craft. A must purchase for an upper elementary classroom.

Absolutely delightful middle grade that hits on so many topics relevant and important to the older elementary audience (identity, global perspectives, climate change, sibling dynamics, neurodivergence, and more!). An immediate recommendation for classroom read alouds and will be a hit with so many students who have a range of interests.

This lovely book is perfect for readers who like travel and 'gentle' realistic fiction. It touches on themes of sibling rivalry, family dynamics, and friendship drama, but they are all handled with grace (no pun intended) and gentleness. Great for sensitive readers or those who like a good story with relatable and likable characters but do not want heavy relationship drama or violence. It also has a profound environmental message about protecting coral reefs and our oceans, delivered without preachiness. I will use this for book clubs centered on ecological themes. And, I absolutely want to go snorkeling in Honduras after reading this book!!

Just Read: Gracie Under the Waves by @parklindasue

I read Gracie Under the Waves on my long honeymoon flight to Greece and I was so sad when I finished it so quickly! I absolutely love A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park; it is currently one of our sixth-grade read-aloud books. I was thrilled to see that she was coming out with a new book this September and knew I wanted to read it as soon as I could.

Gracie loves everything about the ocean and snorkeling even though she has only been a few times. She loved it so much, however, that she decides to plan and pitch a family vacation that would provide her an opportunity to snorkel again. When her parents agree to take the family to Roatán, an island in Honduras, she is thrilled to be able to do what she has been dreaming of.

Throughout the story, Gracie deals with her hyperactive younger brother Ben who seems to be causing her trouble at every opportunity. She also meets new friends who help her learn all about coral reefs, the damage being done to them, and how people are trying to help preserve marine life across the world.

I really loved how easy it was to empathize with Gracie while reading. As an older sibling myself, I could feel both her frustration and protectiveness towards her brother who absolutely adores her and just wants to be around her all of the time. I also feel that there is just enough scientific terminology and information in the book that it doesn’t feel overwhelming to younger readers.

I am so excited for this book to be published! It provides so many opportunities for discussion about climate change and tie ins with nonfiction pieces - perfect for our new standards. I’m also already brainstorming how to get a school-wide fundraiser going to help save and support the coral reefs. I am excited to showcase it during my Environment / Climate Change monthly reading theme in January.

Gracie Under the Waves is an engaging story of a girl who loves snorkeling and plans a trip with her family to Roatán. She learns a lot about fish, reefs. She’s devastated to see the damage to reefs. How to help? Enriching, empowering.

Linda Sue Park has given us a short, sweet novel about a middle school girl named Gracie who has a passion for the ocean, in particular snorkeling. Her dream is to snorkel in The Maldives, but realizes that trip is out of reach for now. Gracie intently researches snorkeling beaches and finds Roatan in Honduras. After sharing her plans, her parents book the trip!
This book is perfect for readers who are interested in climate change or ocean preservation. I enjoyed learning all about coral reefs, the diversity of marine life and marine ecology, along with information about ocean preservation. 
Gracie is a realistic 12 year old that readers of this age will relate. She gets highly frustrated with her energetic younger brother, Ben. She becomes disappointed when an incident prevents her from going into the water for a few days. She jumps into action when a bloom of jellyfish become a threat. Anyone with younger siblings can empathize with her struggles and triumphs of being the older sibling. I appreciated how Park portrayed the loving parents who acknowledged that they inadvertently were asking too much of their daughter in her role with Ben. 
I think this book will appeal to lot of readers, and will serve to educate as well as entertain.

This is a well-written middle grade book about a girl who sets an achievable, appropriate goal and pursues it. Along the way, she learns about advocacy and even small actions making a difference. I enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to my upper elementary school students. While i love middle grade books that tackle hard issues, it's also great to find some that aren't so angsty!

What a great story! I learned so much about coral reefs and protecting them! I think students will enjoy every bit of this book.

Gracie has a passion for. snorkeling. Her parents let her plan the family's spring break vacation and she chooses to go to Roatan in the Honduras. While there, she sees and learns about the importance of protecting the color reefs, which have been dying due to over-fishing and other human activities. This was a short but sweet story about saving our seas!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC! This was a wonderful book to inspire kids to find something they are passionate about, learn about it, and take action to help! We do a special project each year for students to select an issue in the world they care about. They research, write an essay, create a website, and take some sort of action. This book would be very inspirational for them. I plan to use it as a read aloud around the same time as our project to help inspire them. Thank you again for the great story and the opportunity to read it!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read the ARC for Gracie Under the Waves. This books shares the story of a young girl who loves exploring to discover creatures in the water. On a family vacation, she encounters a challenge and is able to cope with the help of a newly found friend. Children who are enamored with the water will enjoy this book,