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Higgins Hole
Cover of Higgins Hole
Higgins Hole
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"Jumping conch shells! Have I got a tale for you!" So begins the account of the battle for Higgins Hole by its most noble historian and poet laureate, Petronius the seahorse. Tucked away from the powerful currents of the ocean, Higgins Hole is home to a peaceful community of quirky sea creatures—until a vicious pack of great white sharks, led by the ferocious Tacitus, invades. Lutus, the Hole’s sage lobster leader, and Apollo, the sea turtle diplomat, appeal to the Oceanic Council for help, while General Integritus, the courageous military commander, does his best to protect the Hole. Yet in the end, it will be up to the Hole’s inhabitants to rid their waters of the intruders, with the aid of the legendary Flying Dolphin Squadron and a helping hand from the mysterious depths of the abyss.
"Jumping conch shells! Have I got a tale for you!" So begins the account of the battle for Higgins Hole by its most noble historian and poet laureate, Petronius the seahorse. Tucked away from the powerful currents of the ocean, Higgins Hole is home to a peaceful community of quirky sea creatures—until a vicious pack of great white sharks, led by the ferocious Tacitus, invades. Lutus, the Hole’s sage lobster leader, and Apollo, the sea turtle diplomat, appeal to the Oceanic Council for help, while General Integritus, the courageous military commander, does his best to protect the Hole. Yet in the end, it will be up to the Hole’s inhabitants to rid their waters of the intruders, with the aid of the legendary Flying Dolphin Squadron and a helping hand from the mysterious depths of the abyss.
Available formats-
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB eBook
Languages:-
Copies-
  • Available:
    1
  • Library copies:
    1
Levels-
  • ATOS:
    6.0
  • Lexile:
    920
  • Interest Level:
    MG
  • Text Difficulty:
    4 - 5


Excerpts-
  • From the book Why all the celebrating, you ask? We’re thrilled because we’ve just saved our homes—indeed, our very lives! The fight for Higgins Hole was a great victory, probably the greatest in the history of the oceans.
                What? You haven’t heard the news? Jumping conch shells! Have I got a tale for you!
                But first allow me to introduce myself. I’m a Hippocampus erectus, more commonly known as a sea horse. My name is Petronius. I was named by the great Lutus himself, an honor bestowed in our aquatic realm only upon those whose service rises above what’s expected of a common fish.
                You might not know I was named just to look at me, for, as Lutus points out, true greatness lies beneath one’s scales. And yet you might suspect in passing that I swim a bit apart from the school. Doubtless you’ve noticed the elegant taper of my snout, which rises at the end in a noble cast. Many comment on my lovely translucent skin. The smooth facets of my body convey an air at once strong and refined. Fish of culture and taste have noted the tight coil of my tail, suggesting an easy grace at the dance.
                But enough about me . . . Welcome! Our aquatic paradise, Higgins Hole, is located just a few days’ swim off the Florida Keys. A beautiful reef encircles us, protecting us from storms, powerful ocean currents, and noisy ships. The reef pokes its rounded tops above the waves, which splash about them in a continuous, delightful whisper. Inside our reef the whitest sand lies beneath the bluest water, and no artist could equal the brightly colored tapestry of our coral. And there in the very center of the circle, as you can see with your own eyes, is the abyss, a depression in the seafloor so deep that no light has ever reached its bottom.
                Although the origins of our abyss are unknown, theories abound. Lutus has speculated during lighter moments that it might have been dug by an enormous clam, though he’s also expressed more serious possibilities. For example, he proposed to
    the Academy that a flaming rock from the sky might have hit the sea and penetrated deep into the sea bottom. He later suggested an alternative theory that a volcano had once existed here, exploded with immense force, and left this seemingly bottomless crater. This caught on as the Big Bang theory and is now much in vogue among our fish-a-cists. Whatever the truth of this matter, our fathomless abyss has always been a source of pride. And until yesterday, only Angie the Anglerfish, our esteemed oracle, knew its hidden secrets.
                But look! Here comes Angie now. As word of her approach spreads, every sea creature stops its grazing to gather around the rim of the abyss. From here we can see everything and, better yet, everyone can see us. Don’t be nervous. Act cool and casual. Firm the belly, twist the tail slightly, and, yes, perfect!
                Angie completes her slow, stately ascent, her light shining ever more brightly from the splendid pod that extends from her shiny black forehead. Her large mouth, bristling with long yellow teeth, slopes back from her nose at a severe angle, stopping just below her ancient gills. It’s been said that no other fish can survive where Angie lives,...
About the Author-
  • Kevin Boreen is a first-time author who lives in Wilton, Connecticut. He began writing HIGGINS HOLE during his daily commute to Manhattan.
Reviews-
  • Kirkus

    January 1, 2012
    A middle-grade undersea fantasy angles to be a comical clambake but reels in only a damp debacle. Higgins Hole is a paradisiacal reef off the Florida Keys, where sharks, shellfish and sealife of every kind live in harmony under the wise leadership of Lutus the lobster—until their peaceful idyll is invaded by the monstrous white shark Tacitus and his gang of thugs. Every denizen of the deep, from the tiniest shrimp to the giant blue whales, will have to summon unprecedented courage to save their home, with just a little unexpected assist from the abyss. The premise is a charming one, but when the prologue drains any potential suspense by announcing a complete, casualty-free victory, the story needs to rely instead upon a likable voice or clever execution. Unfortunately, the first-person narration by the vainglorious grandiloquent seahorse Petronius (and especially his tedious reliance on incessant, groan-worthy puns) quickly becomes annoying, while the broad political and social satire will most likely sail over the heads of younger readers. The cartoony ink illustrations provide a certain goofy brio, and the brief chapters and constant cliffhangers might make for a passable classroom read-aloud. The failure to allow any named female a role beyond passive oracle or silly damselfish-in-distress, however, unnecessarily excludes half the potential audience, while the condescending tone and corny humor will probably alienate the rest. Steer clear. (Fantasy. 8-11)

    (COPYRIGHT (2012) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

  • School Library Journal

    February 1, 2012

    Gr 4-6-Petronius the seahorse is one of the Named fish and the historian/poet laureate of Higgins Hole, a peaceful community of sea creatures led by Lutus the lobster with the help of Apollo the sea turtle. When Tacitus, a great white shark, arrives with his dastardly crew, they threaten to eat every creature in the Hole and all of their visitors, too. Petronius's pals must find a way to get the Flying Dolphin Squadron (led by dashing Megamaximus Sharkbonker) and the Oceanic Council to help them out of their predicament. This is a quirky story full of pithy proverbs and silly puns. Kids will enjoy the action and the charming tale of courage and friendship that highlights the old adage: United we stand, divided we fall. Clark's occasional pen-and-ink illustrations highlight the action.-Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ

    Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

  • The Horn Book

    July 1, 2012
    Petronius, an articulate seahorse, narrates this ocean adventure about Higgins Hole, a peaceful reef community. When threatened by a group of bloodthirsty sharks, Petronius and friends must figure out how to save their community and their lives. Fishy puns, dynamic vocabulary, suspenseful action, and black-and-white drawings of the smart yet goofy-looking sea creatures make this a winning package.

    (Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

  • School Library Journal

    Petronius the seahorse is one of the Named fish and the historian/poet laureate of Higgins Hole, a peaceful community of sea creatures led by Lutus the lobster with the help of Apollo the sea turtle. When Tacitus, a great white shark, arrives with his dastardly crew, they threaten to eat every creature in the Hole and all of their visitors, too. Petronius's pals must find a way to get the Flying Dolphin Squadron (led by dashing Megamaximus Sharkbonker) and the Oceanic Council to help them out of their predicament. This is a quirky story full of pithy proverbs and silly puns. Kids will enjoy the action and the charming tale of courage and friendship that highlights the old adage: United we stand, divided we fall. Clark's occasional pen-and-ink illustrations highlight the action.

Title Information+
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    Charlesbridge
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Higgins Hole
Kevin Boreen
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