Hippie Chick
Grade 8 Up—Fifteen-year-old Lolly Emmerson loves to spend time with her boyfriend, Nicky. Her other love is sailing in the Florida Keys. One evening, her Boston Whaler hits an underwater obstacle. Lolly is not concerned until the unsinkable boat overturns and she is dumped into the water. She tries to remain calm but is knocked unconscious by the mast. When she comes to, something thumps her. Shark or dolphin is the first thing that comes to mind; however, it is a giant manatee. A trio of manatees takes Lolly on their backs to an isolated island. When she begins to recover from her injuries, the manatees take her to open water where she is soon spotted and rescued, and one of the animals is severely injured by a propeller cut. While the story might stretch the imagination, it does show the teen's courage and determination to survive and the bond she forges with these gentle creatures. Lolly tells her story after her rescue, explaining how she felt at various stages of her ordeal, particularly when she was sure she was going to die. It's an affecting account, beautifully told. In an afterword, the author makes a plea for the safe treatment of the manatees.—Sharon Morrison, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OKCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.