Safe Harbor
by Padma Venkatraman
Intermediate, Middle School    Paulsen/Penguin    176 pp.
1/25    9780593112502    $17.99
e-book ed.  9780593112519    $10.99

Geetha and her mother, who lives with depression, move from Chennai, India, to Rhode Island, leaving behind the rest of their family and settling in an apartment near Narragansett Bay. Geetha is lonely at school and is made fun of for her accent, food, and thrift-store clothes. She often fights to “hold back the dam of anger building,” though regular trips to the library and composing music on her bamboo flute provide release. She befriends Miguel, a Mexican American boy, and the two find a harp seal that has been injured by a fishing line; after it’s taken in by the Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center, they visit it as it convalesces. Inspired to prevent further injury to animals from pollution, the two organize a community beach cleanup. Written in verse, this compact, emotional story brims with metaphors about the ocean and sea life that echo its themes of home and the scary process of learning to let go of people, things, and beliefs. Additionally, there is a strong marine conservationist message that may inspire readers to learn more and take action. An author’s note contextualizes Geetha’s story in Venkatraman’s own experiences; resources about marine life, bullying, and mental health are also appended.

From the March/April 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.