Blue Skin of the Sea - by Graham Salisbury (Paperback)

About the Book

Eleven luminous stories form a fascinating account of a boy growing up in Hawaii between 1953 and 1966. The collection won the author six major awards, including the PEN/Norma Klein Award. "Salisbury has successfully created stories that stand alone, yet join together to build a world of people, places, and conflicts".--School Library Journal, starred review. An ALA Best Book of the Year; 1992 Parents' Choice Book Award; School Library Journal Best Book of the Year; 1992 Judy Lopez Memorial Award.

Book Synopsis

Eleven interlinked stories tell the tale of a boy coming of age in Kailua-Kona, a Hawaiian fishing village. Sonny Mendoza is a little different from the rest of the men in his family. Salisbury explores characters like 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?

About the Author

Graham Salisbury is the author of several novels, among them the award-winning Lord of the Deep, Blue Skin of the Sea, and Under the Blood-Red Sun.