Blue Skin of the Sea

 
Eleven luminous stories follow Sonny Mendoza and his cousin, Keo, young men who grow up in a Hawaiian fishing village, a world of dazzling beauty, powerful family ties, and vivid characters: Aunty Pearl, a full blooded Hawaiian as regal as the queens of old; cool Jack, from L.A., who starts a gang and dares Sonny to be brave enough, cruel enough, to join; mysterious Melanie, who steals his heart; and Deeps, the shark hunter.

But the most memorable character is the sea itself: inviting, unpredictable, deadly. Mendoza men are brave men, but Sonny's courage is of a different kind. Why can't he love and trust the water as the men of his family are meant to do?

REVIEWS:

"Ripe with images, the work -- its writing, people, style -- is tantalizing, well-realized, and mature."
--Kirkus Reviews, pointered

“Salisbury has successfully created stories that . . . will engage teen readers.”
--School Library Journal, starred

“A strong sense of time and place, fully realized characters, stylish prose, and universal themes.”
-- Booklist, starred

 

AWARDS:

1992 Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal
1992 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
1992 Parent's Choice Book Award
  Bank Street Child Study Book Award for 1992
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, Women's National Book Association
1993 Oregon Book Award
1993 NCTE Notable Trade Book in the Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English
PEN/Norma Klein Award, PEN American Center in honor of Norma Klein (Biennial prize recognizes an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction.)

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