Review of Sleepers

Sleepers
Written by Darcy Pattison
Ages:  10 - 18                                               
​ Grade level:  4 - 12

This book is no sleeper!  That was my Amazon review, and now it’s my review for My Reads.  Sleepers hooked me on the first page! Imagine a teenage boy, Jake, going for a night-time swim. Problem…a great white shark is circling him. This isn’t the usual Jaws adventure, Jake is a shark-whisperer, literally! The two swim the night away in the Gulf of Mexico, and that’s just the first chapter.

Kids have no sense of time. When Jake returns home early the next morning, he doesn’t get an earful about curfew. It’s all about the swim. That’s because Jake is half-human, half alien, and no one can learn of his identity. His home planet, Rison is ready to explode from volcanic forces, and they’re hoping to evacuate. Earth is the only option. Add into the plot, a revenge-seeking volcanologist, Rison-hating humans, and of course a cute girl. This is a great adventure story. I loved it so much I’m rereading it.

For teacher/parents, this book is also a treasure-trove of nonfiction connections: volcanology, anatomy (Risonians are able to live on both land and water), refugees vs the home population, World War II and the Japanese internment camp, and politicians/statesmen. Darcy explained the difference. But most of all, it’s a great story. That’s why I’m rereading it, and recommending it. Oh, I can’t wait for the next book in the series. There’s a mermaid in the mix…
 
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