Get excited about summer reading with these marine-themed books recommended by our friends at the Charleston County Public Library.

Juvenile

Whoosh!: A Watery World of Wonderful Creatures

By Marilyn Baillie

Splash into this interactive story to explore how various animals act in the water and the ways that children mimic them.

Pete the Cat: Scuba-Cat

By James Dean

Pete is excited to go scuba diving. On his groovy adventure, Pete encounters a variety of sea animals, but he really wants to see a seahorse. Will Pete get his wish?

The Pout-Pout Fish

By Deborah Diesen

Cruise through the ocean with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that his permanent frown can be turned upside down. The fun repetition of verses will be a crowd-pleaser for all young guppies.

Curious Critters: Marine

By David FitzSimmons

Stunning photographs feature twenty incredible marine animals from North America—from a sleek black sea bass to a rare blue lobster. Fun and educational narratives highlight each animal.

I Spy Under the Sea

By Edward Gibbs

Peek through the spy hole, and use the clues to guess the many creatures that live under the sea.

Clark the Shark

By Bruce Hale

Clark finds everything about school fun and exciting, but his enthusiasm causes problems until he begins inventing rhymes to remind himself to stay cool at school.

Does a Sea Cow Say Moo?

By Terry Webb Harshman

A curious alien named Flash arrives on the beach by spaceship with big questions about why some names are the same and on land: Can you wish on a starfish? And saddle a seahorse? With the help of a young boy named Jack, Flash discovers the answers to his questions.

First Big Book of the Ocean

By Catherine D. Hughes

A wonderful animal reference that includes familiar ocean animals such as dolphins, sharks, sea otters and penguins, as well as some of the sea’s lesser-known creatures. More than one hundred delightful animal photos illustrate the entries with fun facts about each animal.

Ocean Hide and Seek

By Jennifer E. Kramer

The ocean is an old, old place, and the exotic animals who live in the depths have learned to adapt to their surroundings to survive. Can you find the creatures hidden on every page?

Wave

Suzy Lee

In this wordless picture book about a young girl’s first time at the beach, she discovers the roaring waves and the surprises that the ocean carries.

Peanut Butter and Jellyfish

By Jane O’Connor

Fancy Nancy and her class discover many amazing underwater sea creatures during their visit the aquarium. When Nancy arrives at the jellyfish exhibit, she comes face to face with her biggest fear. With the help of her friends and teacher, Nancy learns that jellyfish are fascinating creatures and not scary after all.

Fish School

By Nancy Poydar

Charlie loves learning about fish, especially since he owns a goldfish named Wishy. When Charlie and his class take a field trip to the aquarium, he secretly brings Wishy along in his backpack. But when it’s time to leave, Charlie realizes he has lost his backpack and Wishy. Will he find his pet in the aquarium?

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

By Kevin Sherry

A blue giant squid journeys through the ocean, proudly declaring that he is bigger than all the creatures he encounters, in this delightfully clever story with a surprise ending.

Octopus Alone

By Divya Srinivasan

Octopus leaves her cave in a lively reef because she is shy and the seahorses there find her fascinating, but when she finds a quieter, more peaceful spot, she misses her home and friends.

Flotsam

By David Wiesner

A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam—anything floating that has been washed ashore like bottles, lost toys, and small objects. But there’s no way he could have prepared for his most unique discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share and to keep.

Young Adult

The Thing About Jellyfish

By Ali Benjamin

Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend’s death.

Adult

The Soul of an Octopus : A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness

By Sy Montgomery

Explore the emotional and physical world of the octopus and the remarkable connections it makes with humans.