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Make a Little Wave
Swim with the current, or go against the flow?
Savannah has been feeling out of place ever since her family moved to Sandy Dune, Florida. She finds it easier to make friends with animals than people. Plus, everyone in Sandy Dune seems to love spending time in the ocean, and Sav never feels comfortable leaving the shore.
When her classmate Tanner invites her to the opening of his family’s restaurant, Sav’s excited—until she’s served a bowl of shark fin soup. Sav has always been scared of sharks, but she’s horrified that they’re inhumanely killed for this expensive delicacy. Especially as she learns more about these surprisingly gentle creatures and discovers that some shark species are being hunted to the point of endangerment. Tanner’s family brushes off her concerns, but Sav resolves to stop them from serving the soup.
To do that, she’ll have to learn how to use her voice and face her biggest fears.
Savannah has been feeling out of place ever since her family moved to Sandy Dune, Florida. She finds it easier to make friends with animals than people. Plus, everyone in Sandy Dune seems to love spending time in the ocean, and Sav never feels comfortable leaving the shore.
When her classmate Tanner invites her to the opening of his family’s restaurant, Sav’s excited—until she’s served a bowl of shark fin soup. Sav has always been scared of sharks, but she’s horrified that they’re inhumanely killed for this expensive delicacy. Especially as she learns more about these surprisingly gentle creatures and discovers that some shark species are being hunted to the point of endangerment. Tanner’s family brushes off her concerns, but Sav resolves to stop them from serving the soup.
To do that, she’ll have to learn how to use her voice and face her biggest fears.
360 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2024
58 people want to read
About the author
Kerry O'Malley Cerra
5Ìýbooks82ÌýfollowersKerry O'Malley Cerra is an award-winning author of middle-grade books and picture books.
Her first novel,ÌýJust a Drop of Water, was published on September 2, 2014, by Sky Pony Press. It won a Florida Book Award, the Crystal Kite Award, and was named to VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle Readers' 2014 list. In addition, the book was a finalist for the 2015-2016 Maine Student Book Award, the 2017-2018 Garden State Teen Book Award (New Jersey), the 2016-2017 Truman Award list (Missouri), and the 2018 Nene Award (Hawaii). It won runner-up for the 2016-2017 Magnolia Award (Mississippi).
Her second novel, Hear Me (Sept. 6, 2022, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing), is based on the author's own hearing loss/deaf experience. This contemporary middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Rayne, who, at odds with her parents over her sudden hearing loss and looming cochlear implant surgery, sets off on a journey where she discovers that even though her ears may be broken, she is not. This book is a 2024-2025 Sunshine State Young Reader Award book.
Her novel, Make a Little Wave (Oct 1, 2024, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing), won both a Florida Book Award and was named a 2025 honor book for the national Green Earth Book Award. This story follows Sav, who, once learning about the horrific act of shark finning, sets out to stop a local restaurant from serving shark fin soup. Only things get super messy as Sav realizes the ins and outs of being an activist. Eventually, she learns to use her voice to stand up for the sharks, becoming a true eco-warrior. The scientific note that precedes the story is written by Kylie Cerra, the author's daughter, a marine biologist with a concentration in shark studies.
Stay tuned for her forthcoming nonfiction picture book, The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA's Deaf Bioastronauts (March 31, 2026, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). This work tells the story of eleven deaf men and how they helped America and NASA win the Space Race. It's a Deaf story by a deaf author with pictures by a deaf illustrator--a very cool trifecta!
Kerry’s work has received praise from The New York Times, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, and the Horn Book Guide calling her stories moving, perceptive, well-developed, and woven with an expert hand. A deaf author herself (who now hears with the help of one cochlear implant), she's passionate about books that depict d/Deaf and/or hearing loss experiences for children.
Kerry holds a degree in Social Science Education from the University of South Florida and only recently left her job as a high school media specialist/librarian (and a social studies teacher long before that) to return to writing full-time. She continues to use her teaching skills in author presentations at schools across the country.
Though she'll always consider South Jersey/Philly her home, she currently lives in Florida with her husband and the cutest rescue dog ever.
Her first novel,ÌýJust a Drop of Water, was published on September 2, 2014, by Sky Pony Press. It won a Florida Book Award, the Crystal Kite Award, and was named to VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle Readers' 2014 list. In addition, the book was a finalist for the 2015-2016 Maine Student Book Award, the 2017-2018 Garden State Teen Book Award (New Jersey), the 2016-2017 Truman Award list (Missouri), and the 2018 Nene Award (Hawaii). It won runner-up for the 2016-2017 Magnolia Award (Mississippi).
Her second novel, Hear Me (Sept. 6, 2022, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing), is based on the author's own hearing loss/deaf experience. This contemporary middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Rayne, who, at odds with her parents over her sudden hearing loss and looming cochlear implant surgery, sets off on a journey where she discovers that even though her ears may be broken, she is not. This book is a 2024-2025 Sunshine State Young Reader Award book.
Her novel, Make a Little Wave (Oct 1, 2024, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing), won both a Florida Book Award and was named a 2025 honor book for the national Green Earth Book Award. This story follows Sav, who, once learning about the horrific act of shark finning, sets out to stop a local restaurant from serving shark fin soup. Only things get super messy as Sav realizes the ins and outs of being an activist. Eventually, she learns to use her voice to stand up for the sharks, becoming a true eco-warrior. The scientific note that precedes the story is written by Kylie Cerra, the author's daughter, a marine biologist with a concentration in shark studies.
Stay tuned for her forthcoming nonfiction picture book, The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA's Deaf Bioastronauts (March 31, 2026, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). This work tells the story of eleven deaf men and how they helped America and NASA win the Space Race. It's a Deaf story by a deaf author with pictures by a deaf illustrator--a very cool trifecta!
Kerry’s work has received praise from The New York Times, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, and the Horn Book Guide calling her stories moving, perceptive, well-developed, and woven with an expert hand. A deaf author herself (who now hears with the help of one cochlear implant), she's passionate about books that depict d/Deaf and/or hearing loss experiences for children.
Kerry holds a degree in Social Science Education from the University of South Florida and only recently left her job as a high school media specialist/librarian (and a social studies teacher long before that) to return to writing full-time. She continues to use her teaching skills in author presentations at schools across the country.
Though she'll always consider South Jersey/Philly her home, she currently lives in Florida with her husband and the cutest rescue dog ever.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 9, 2024
Sav, short for Savannah, is deaf with Cochlear Implants. She is starting in a scientific oriented Middle School in a new town and scared and lonely. The family is at the beach when she meets a popular boy just before school begins. He brings her to his parents� seafood restaurant and they order soup for everyone…soup that turned out to be shark fin soup. She’s so grossed out she vomits on everyone at the table and ends up going home and deciding she is personally going to get the restaurant to stop serving this “delicacy� that can go for $100/bowl!
Especially in the beginning, I have a lot of problems with Sav and her parents. Some of the accusations against Sav are perfectly correct: she IS a hypocrite. I’m vegan and have been some form of vegetarian for decades. She tried veganism for 36 odd hours before giving it up. She researched sharks like crazy but never researched veganism. She gets into more and more trouble in her campaign to save sharks. She thinks that the ends justify the means. She knows her plans are wrong because she doesn’t do the obvious and run her plans by her incredibly patient parents. However, her parents don’t do the obvious either and explain why her plans are bad and how to avoid the bad ideas. They just ground her. However, I got to give the author credit: she has Sav begin to reflect on what is going on and begin to understand why her plans are bad and she comes up with a plan that isn’t going to get the cops� attention this time.
While not the point of the book, a powerful part for me was having the main character be deaf with the same cochlear implants I have. I’m relatively new to both deafness and implants but they are indeed life changing. It was great that the author knew through her own life about them and got many details right! I do wish though that she hadn’t included Sav’s difficulty with freezing on her word choice. While she tries to make it clear it was anxiety that was the problem, not the deafness, I don’t think she succeeded.
The author packs a lot into this middle grade story and manages to keep it all contained. I’m impressed. While I don’t consider this book truly remarkable, I am thrilled that hopefully readers will at a minimum, start rejecting shark fin soup! Here’s hoping that Savannah gives vegetarianism another try when older and researches the subject!
Especially in the beginning, I have a lot of problems with Sav and her parents. Some of the accusations against Sav are perfectly correct: she IS a hypocrite. I’m vegan and have been some form of vegetarian for decades. She tried veganism for 36 odd hours before giving it up. She researched sharks like crazy but never researched veganism. She gets into more and more trouble in her campaign to save sharks. She thinks that the ends justify the means. She knows her plans are wrong because she doesn’t do the obvious and run her plans by her incredibly patient parents. However, her parents don’t do the obvious either and explain why her plans are bad and how to avoid the bad ideas. They just ground her. However, I got to give the author credit: she has Sav begin to reflect on what is going on and begin to understand why her plans are bad and she comes up with a plan that isn’t going to get the cops� attention this time.
While not the point of the book, a powerful part for me was having the main character be deaf with the same cochlear implants I have. I’m relatively new to both deafness and implants but they are indeed life changing. It was great that the author knew through her own life about them and got many details right! I do wish though that she hadn’t included Sav’s difficulty with freezing on her word choice. While she tries to make it clear it was anxiety that was the problem, not the deafness, I don’t think she succeeded.
The author packs a lot into this middle grade story and manages to keep it all contained. I’m impressed. While I don’t consider this book truly remarkable, I am thrilled that hopefully readers will at a minimum, start rejecting shark fin soup! Here’s hoping that Savannah gives vegetarianism another try when older and researches the subject!
December 21, 2024
Although this book was more of a middle-grade book than YA, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I picked up this book because I thought it would explore the different ways that cultures think about things (for example, shark fin soup), but “Make A Little Wave� was really about activism. Though the book was a little repetitive and Savannah, the narrator, was a bit judgmental, I liked the character development throughout the novel. I also liked how Savannah’s hearing loss was incorporated into her daily life.
January 14, 2025
I would recommend this book to ages 10-13. This book was so good! I liked the part when they put cockroaches in the restaurant because it was funny. It had just the right amount of drama too. 5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2024
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Savannah, or Sav, has recently moved from Orlando with her family to the smaller coastal town of Sandy Dune, Florida. She will miss her best friend Maizy, although the two plan to keep in touch. Sav, who was born with a hearing loss and had cochlear implants a few years ago when hearing aids stopped being effective, has some fear of the water. She doesn't care for the darkness, since she can't depend on hearing when she is in the water. She is also rather afraid of sharks and other marine creatures. She's met Tanner, who is going to be in her grade at school, on the beach, and when his family opens a new restaurant, he invites her. Sav also has a bit of social anxiety, and when she is nervous, has a tendency to forget words (e.g. calling "fishing" "ocean shopping"). She is uncomfortable in a skirt, nervous around all of the fancy people in the restaurant, and doesn't like sea food, so when she is served a bowl of soup with a chewy bit of meat in it, she is appalled to find out it is shark's fin. Predictably, she vomits all over the table. Luckily, Tanner's grandfather comes to her aid, gets her cleaned up, and helps her to summon her mother. He says that he is grateful that she saved HIM from having to eat the soup. Of course, videos of this hit social media; Tanner had previously posted a picture of him and Sav on the dock that he meant to be flattering. Sav is not only mortified, but horrified when she researches how the shark's fin soup is made. She tells Tanner about how the sharks are caught, definned, and left to die, and he said that he didn't know about it, but that his parents make a lot of money charging for the soup, which is considered a delicacy. Once school starts, Sav joins the marine environmental club, and makes friends with a girl who insists on being called Rav (her real name is Benedicta) and Belén. The two want to join Sav's fight against the people who are not necessarily violating local laws concerning the sharks, but are certainly not being ethical about gathering them, since they bring them from international waters. Sav also suspects that Tanner's father is heavily involved in their trade. To try to make her point, she and her friends protest outside the restaurant, but are told to move along. After that, Sav has Maizy send her live cockroaches in the mail, which her older sister Arbor notices. Sav, of course, says that it's something for a school project. Rav and Belén are supposed to help Sav release them in the restaurant, but are uncomfortable doing this. Even when they do, people don't make too much of a fuss. Still angry, Sav researches how to disable the boat that Tanner's family uses for expeditions, and is caught by Tanner and the local police filling the gas tank with water. This causes MUCH more damage than she expected, and she is forced to work off the thousand dollars in repairs helping Tanner clean the boat. Tanner is very understanding, but his parents (and Sav's) are not happy about Sav's actions. Seeing that her efforts that focused on Tanner's family weren't successful, she works with her teacher and the environmental club to stage a sit in at the office of a local government official who seems to be abetting the shark fin trade. Will Sav be able to educate her community and stop the horrible practice?
Strengths: Sav was a realistically enthusiastic and sometimes misguided middle school character. She wanted desperately to save the sharks, but is okay with sending the roaches to their death in the restaurant. I liked that Tanner and others called her on this. The fact that she was hearing impaired was just part of her character and not a focus of the story; this author's Hear Me is more concerned with the hearing loss, so it's great to see a character going about her life with this difference in ability. I learned a lot about cochlear implants, so that was interesting! The family's move was well depicted, with the older sister enjoying making new friends, but Sav worrying more, even though she does find Rav and Belén. The relationship with Tanner is very sweet; you can't go wrong putting a light romance into a middle grade book. Climate and ecological activism is very important, and Sav manages to surround herself with people who are able to "make a little wave".
Weaknesses: As an adult, I was very concerned that Sav's activism led her to some truly destructive behavior, and that she never seemed to understand the damage that she caused. Young readers are unlikely to replicate her release of roaches or sabotage of a gas tank, and this will sit differently with different readers, but I didn't care for it very much, because I am personally risk averse!
What I really think: This will be a big hit with readers who are interested in marine biology and enjoyed Kelly's Song for a Whale, Berne's A Dolphin Named Star, Hapka's Heart of a Dolphin, Griffin's Manatee Summer, Dimopoulos's Turn the Tide, or Baskin's Consider the Octopus.
Savannah, or Sav, has recently moved from Orlando with her family to the smaller coastal town of Sandy Dune, Florida. She will miss her best friend Maizy, although the two plan to keep in touch. Sav, who was born with a hearing loss and had cochlear implants a few years ago when hearing aids stopped being effective, has some fear of the water. She doesn't care for the darkness, since she can't depend on hearing when she is in the water. She is also rather afraid of sharks and other marine creatures. She's met Tanner, who is going to be in her grade at school, on the beach, and when his family opens a new restaurant, he invites her. Sav also has a bit of social anxiety, and when she is nervous, has a tendency to forget words (e.g. calling "fishing" "ocean shopping"). She is uncomfortable in a skirt, nervous around all of the fancy people in the restaurant, and doesn't like sea food, so when she is served a bowl of soup with a chewy bit of meat in it, she is appalled to find out it is shark's fin. Predictably, she vomits all over the table. Luckily, Tanner's grandfather comes to her aid, gets her cleaned up, and helps her to summon her mother. He says that he is grateful that she saved HIM from having to eat the soup. Of course, videos of this hit social media; Tanner had previously posted a picture of him and Sav on the dock that he meant to be flattering. Sav is not only mortified, but horrified when she researches how the shark's fin soup is made. She tells Tanner about how the sharks are caught, definned, and left to die, and he said that he didn't know about it, but that his parents make a lot of money charging for the soup, which is considered a delicacy. Once school starts, Sav joins the marine environmental club, and makes friends with a girl who insists on being called Rav (her real name is Benedicta) and Belén. The two want to join Sav's fight against the people who are not necessarily violating local laws concerning the sharks, but are certainly not being ethical about gathering them, since they bring them from international waters. Sav also suspects that Tanner's father is heavily involved in their trade. To try to make her point, she and her friends protest outside the restaurant, but are told to move along. After that, Sav has Maizy send her live cockroaches in the mail, which her older sister Arbor notices. Sav, of course, says that it's something for a school project. Rav and Belén are supposed to help Sav release them in the restaurant, but are uncomfortable doing this. Even when they do, people don't make too much of a fuss. Still angry, Sav researches how to disable the boat that Tanner's family uses for expeditions, and is caught by Tanner and the local police filling the gas tank with water. This causes MUCH more damage than she expected, and she is forced to work off the thousand dollars in repairs helping Tanner clean the boat. Tanner is very understanding, but his parents (and Sav's) are not happy about Sav's actions. Seeing that her efforts that focused on Tanner's family weren't successful, she works with her teacher and the environmental club to stage a sit in at the office of a local government official who seems to be abetting the shark fin trade. Will Sav be able to educate her community and stop the horrible practice?
Strengths: Sav was a realistically enthusiastic and sometimes misguided middle school character. She wanted desperately to save the sharks, but is okay with sending the roaches to their death in the restaurant. I liked that Tanner and others called her on this. The fact that she was hearing impaired was just part of her character and not a focus of the story; this author's Hear Me is more concerned with the hearing loss, so it's great to see a character going about her life with this difference in ability. I learned a lot about cochlear implants, so that was interesting! The family's move was well depicted, with the older sister enjoying making new friends, but Sav worrying more, even though she does find Rav and Belén. The relationship with Tanner is very sweet; you can't go wrong putting a light romance into a middle grade book. Climate and ecological activism is very important, and Sav manages to surround herself with people who are able to "make a little wave".
Weaknesses: As an adult, I was very concerned that Sav's activism led her to some truly destructive behavior, and that she never seemed to understand the damage that she caused. Young readers are unlikely to replicate her release of roaches or sabotage of a gas tank, and this will sit differently with different readers, but I didn't care for it very much, because I am personally risk averse!
What I really think: This will be a big hit with readers who are interested in marine biology and enjoyed Kelly's Song for a Whale, Berne's A Dolphin Named Star, Hapka's Heart of a Dolphin, Griffin's Manatee Summer, Dimopoulos's Turn the Tide, or Baskin's Consider the Octopus.
November 13, 2024
I liked that one of the lessons in this book is that everyone has something they are passionate about and that not everyone in the same family has to have the same one (but that families can support each other's causes too--at least when the person is doing them in the right way.)
I do like that the main character in this book (Savannah or Sav) is female. It's intriguing that she has cochlear implants. Many people have fear of public speaking, but Sav's seems a bit enhanced by her hearing loss and anxiety over being able to understand people and her brain's short-circuiting-due-to-anxiety word salads.
I admire Sav's cause to save the sharks/stop shark finning, but I don't admire how she went about trying to change it--at least at first. She did try to talk to Tanner about what she'd researched (though he's not the one making decisions at his family's restaurant) but then, instead of organizing her thoughts and taking them to the restaurant owners (Tanner's parents) to give them a chance to change, she sets out to discredit the restaurant altogether and later, messing with the family's other business (fishing).
The sidewalk protest was probably the least objectionable of her schemes. Protests are legal. It didn't seem like they were blocking people from going into the restaurant, just chanting and talking to people who seemed interested. I could buy that a kid wouldn't know not to use pictures with identifiable faces on their protest signs.
The adults didn't do a real good job at explaining to Sav why what she was doing was wrong. Her parents did punish her but that's not really discussing why doing what she did in the way she did it is wrong and trying to get her to understand. Nor did her parents offer alternative actions to achieve her goal--ones that might have been more successful.
I liked Sav better once she started to realize that the adults and protest group had the right idea in how to go about changing the industry. No destruction of property, focusing on a bigger issue (finning) that, if passed, would probably impact the smaller issue (shark fin soup at a restaurant) that Sav had focused on. I'm glad Sav's parents allowed her to continue to try to see the politician--even allowing her to miss school for it--because she was at least trying to do the right thing in the right way. (I wonder if she ever apologized to this politician for throwing up on him (accidentally) at the restaurant? Maisy focused on Sav's relationship with Tanner, but no one mentioned the politician.)
Note: I received a free ARC of this book via LibraryThing's Early reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
I do like that the main character in this book (Savannah or Sav) is female. It's intriguing that she has cochlear implants. Many people have fear of public speaking, but Sav's seems a bit enhanced by her hearing loss and anxiety over being able to understand people and her brain's short-circuiting-due-to-anxiety word salads.
I admire Sav's cause to save the sharks/stop shark finning, but I don't admire how she went about trying to change it--at least at first. She did try to talk to Tanner about what she'd researched (though he's not the one making decisions at his family's restaurant) but then, instead of organizing her thoughts and taking them to the restaurant owners (Tanner's parents) to give them a chance to change, she sets out to discredit the restaurant altogether and later, messing with the family's other business (fishing).
The sidewalk protest was probably the least objectionable of her schemes. Protests are legal. It didn't seem like they were blocking people from going into the restaurant, just chanting and talking to people who seemed interested. I could buy that a kid wouldn't know not to use pictures with identifiable faces on their protest signs.
The adults didn't do a real good job at explaining to Sav why what she was doing was wrong. Her parents did punish her but that's not really discussing why doing what she did in the way she did it is wrong and trying to get her to understand. Nor did her parents offer alternative actions to achieve her goal--ones that might have been more successful.
I liked Sav better once she started to realize that the adults and protest group had the right idea in how to go about changing the industry. No destruction of property, focusing on a bigger issue (finning) that, if passed, would probably impact the smaller issue (shark fin soup at a restaurant) that Sav had focused on. I'm glad Sav's parents allowed her to continue to try to see the politician--even allowing her to miss school for it--because she was at least trying to do the right thing in the right way. (I wonder if she ever apologized to this politician for throwing up on him (accidentally) at the restaurant? Maisy focused on Sav's relationship with Tanner, but no one mentioned the politician.)
Note: I received a free ARC of this book via LibraryThing's Early reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2024
I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity.
Last year, I reviewed "Hear Me", and was delighted to see another book by Kerry Cerra.
Sav is about 2 years out from her Coclear implant surgery. She still struggles at times with word finding and speaking, and finds reading difficult. She is passionate about animals. She's also just moved to a new community, where she's able to attend a marine science magnet school (good), but had to leave the friends behind who understood her and she connected with.
When her first friend in her new community, Tanner, takes her to his family's restaurant opening, to her horror she is served Shark fin soup. This starts Sav down a road of trying to save the sharks. The information given about Shark finning is, unfortunately accurate.
One thing I loved about this book is that Sav makes mistakes. Lots of them. Her road to advocacy isn't perfect by a long shot, and she faces consequences for said mistakes, There is no easy answer, or easy win here. There is, however, a lot of growth and a lot of development.
Like "Hear Me", this book expresses clearly the impact that a hearing loss has, particularly for a kid outside the Deaf community, and how CI's can help immensely but aren't a 100% fix. This is a valuable and very, very, VERY needed viewpoint, and I am thrilled to see more authors with disabilities writing about their disability.
This is a wonderful book. It's wonderful for kids with disabilities who can see themselves reflected and see that Sav's hearing loss impacts her life...but doesn't prevent it. It's wonderful for kids who care, who want to do something, but don't know what as it shows different paths and that some are more helpful than others. Finally, it shows there is no quick win in advocacy, but that small successes can make an impact.
I would suggest any kid reading this book who wants to learn more about sharks and their conservation needs and environmental impact check out the Gills Club, MISS (Minorities in Shark Science) and the American Elasmobranch Society.
Last year, I reviewed "Hear Me", and was delighted to see another book by Kerry Cerra.
Sav is about 2 years out from her Coclear implant surgery. She still struggles at times with word finding and speaking, and finds reading difficult. She is passionate about animals. She's also just moved to a new community, where she's able to attend a marine science magnet school (good), but had to leave the friends behind who understood her and she connected with.
When her first friend in her new community, Tanner, takes her to his family's restaurant opening, to her horror she is served Shark fin soup. This starts Sav down a road of trying to save the sharks. The information given about Shark finning is, unfortunately accurate.
One thing I loved about this book is that Sav makes mistakes. Lots of them. Her road to advocacy isn't perfect by a long shot, and she faces consequences for said mistakes, There is no easy answer, or easy win here. There is, however, a lot of growth and a lot of development.
Like "Hear Me", this book expresses clearly the impact that a hearing loss has, particularly for a kid outside the Deaf community, and how CI's can help immensely but aren't a 100% fix. This is a valuable and very, very, VERY needed viewpoint, and I am thrilled to see more authors with disabilities writing about their disability.
This is a wonderful book. It's wonderful for kids with disabilities who can see themselves reflected and see that Sav's hearing loss impacts her life...but doesn't prevent it. It's wonderful for kids who care, who want to do something, but don't know what as it shows different paths and that some are more helpful than others. Finally, it shows there is no quick win in advocacy, but that small successes can make an impact.
I would suggest any kid reading this book who wants to learn more about sharks and their conservation needs and environmental impact check out the Gills Club, MISS (Minorities in Shark Science) and the American Elasmobranch Society.
August 1, 2024
Eighth grade Savannah/Sav is not happy about moves from Orlando to beach town Sandy Dune, especially since going into the ocean deeper than her ankles brings on an almost debilitating fear. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about the creatures in that scary water, though, and when she finds out on a not-really-a-date date with popular Tanner that his family’s fancy restaurant serves shark fin soup, she discovers a passion for saving this scary animal that she has trouble channeling in a positive way.
Readers will cringe as Sav makes one bad decision after another in her misplaced efforts to raise awareness about what actually happens to sharks as fishermen seek to provide restaurants with the fins they want for a fancy dish. Along Sav’s path to find a better way to make her voice heard are lessons in dealing with an arrogant (but cute) Tanner and attempts at being a friend to a girl in trouble at home and another one who may have ulterior motives. Readers will wonder what Sav will try next while they learn not only about the importance of sharks to the ocean eco-system but the practice of “finning� as well as the workings of cochlear implants for a deaf person.
Note: Some may be bothered by Sav’s acts of vandalism that are not addressed in a very firm way.
Text is free of profanity, sexual content and physical violence. Target audience is likely grades 4-7. Pairs well with: Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet (Barbara Dee), Olive Blackwood Takes Action (Sonja Thomas) and Hoot (Carl Hiassen)
Thanks for sharing a print arc with me, Lerner Books/CarolRhoda Books
Readers will cringe as Sav makes one bad decision after another in her misplaced efforts to raise awareness about what actually happens to sharks as fishermen seek to provide restaurants with the fins they want for a fancy dish. Along Sav’s path to find a better way to make her voice heard are lessons in dealing with an arrogant (but cute) Tanner and attempts at being a friend to a girl in trouble at home and another one who may have ulterior motives. Readers will wonder what Sav will try next while they learn not only about the importance of sharks to the ocean eco-system but the practice of “finning� as well as the workings of cochlear implants for a deaf person.
Note: Some may be bothered by Sav’s acts of vandalism that are not addressed in a very firm way.
Text is free of profanity, sexual content and physical violence. Target audience is likely grades 4-7. Pairs well with: Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet (Barbara Dee), Olive Blackwood Takes Action (Sonja Thomas) and Hoot (Carl Hiassen)
Thanks for sharing a print arc with me, Lerner Books/CarolRhoda Books
December 20, 2024
Make a Little Wave
by Kerry O'Malley Cerra
Pub DateOct 01 2024
Lerner Publishing Group |Carolrhoda Books ®
Children's Fiction| Middle Grade
A copy of Make a Little Wave was provided to me by Lerner Publishing and Netgalley for review.
This is a wonderful book with valuable lessons for the middle grade reader in your life:
Would you rather swim against the current or with it?
Savannah has been feeling out of place since moving to Sandy Dune, Florida with her family. When it comes to making friends, she finds it easier to do so with animals than with people. In addition, everyone in Sandy Dune seems to enjoy spending time in the ocean, and Sav never feels comfortable leaving the shore.
Sav is excited when she is invited to attend the opening of her classmate Tanner's family restaurant - until she is served shark fin soup. Sav has always been afraid of sharks, but she is appalled at the inhumane ways in which they are killed for this costly delicacy. The more she learns about these surprisingly gentle animals, the more she is concerned about their plight, especially because some shark species are now being hunted to the point of extinction. Sav resolves to prevent Tanner's family from serving the soup despite the family's dismissal of her concerns.
It will require her to learn how to use her voice and overcome her biggest fears in order to accomplish this goal.
I give Make A Little Wave five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
by Kerry O'Malley Cerra
Pub DateOct 01 2024
Lerner Publishing Group |Carolrhoda Books ®
Children's Fiction| Middle Grade
A copy of Make a Little Wave was provided to me by Lerner Publishing and Netgalley for review.
This is a wonderful book with valuable lessons for the middle grade reader in your life:
Would you rather swim against the current or with it?
Savannah has been feeling out of place since moving to Sandy Dune, Florida with her family. When it comes to making friends, she finds it easier to do so with animals than with people. In addition, everyone in Sandy Dune seems to enjoy spending time in the ocean, and Sav never feels comfortable leaving the shore.
Sav is excited when she is invited to attend the opening of her classmate Tanner's family restaurant - until she is served shark fin soup. Sav has always been afraid of sharks, but she is appalled at the inhumane ways in which they are killed for this costly delicacy. The more she learns about these surprisingly gentle animals, the more she is concerned about their plight, especially because some shark species are now being hunted to the point of extinction. Sav resolves to prevent Tanner's family from serving the soup despite the family's dismissal of her concerns.
It will require her to learn how to use her voice and overcome her biggest fears in order to accomplish this goal.
I give Make A Little Wave five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
September 11, 2024
Make A Little Wave by Kerry O'Malley Cerra
Release Date 9/30/24
Wow, just wow! I’m blown away by this book! Although it’s a middle-grade novel, the lessons and impact are truly for everyone. The story is packed with so much heart and meaning, making it enjoyable for readers of all ages. For a book aimed at kids, it left a deep impression on me. From moments of laughter to tears, I couldn’t put it down.
Though my daughter is only one right now, I’ll definitely be adding this to her collection for when she’s older. The story beautifully covers themes of activism, finding your voice, standing up for what’s right, and handling difficult situations with grace and respect. Watching Sav’s journey from a shy girl with passion to someone who learns and grows—both personally and as a friend—was truly inspiring. I couldn’t help but smile at how she found her "fins" (pun intended!).
This is a 5-star read for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful, uplifting story!
Release Date 9/30/24
Wow, just wow! I’m blown away by this book! Although it’s a middle-grade novel, the lessons and impact are truly for everyone. The story is packed with so much heart and meaning, making it enjoyable for readers of all ages. For a book aimed at kids, it left a deep impression on me. From moments of laughter to tears, I couldn’t put it down.
Though my daughter is only one right now, I’ll definitely be adding this to her collection for when she’s older. The story beautifully covers themes of activism, finding your voice, standing up for what’s right, and handling difficult situations with grace and respect. Watching Sav’s journey from a shy girl with passion to someone who learns and grows—both personally and as a friend—was truly inspiring. I couldn’t help but smile at how she found her "fins" (pun intended!).
This is a 5-star read for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a powerful, uplifting story!
September 8, 2024
“One girl can’t save all the sharks in the ocean. But I’m not giving up on saving as many as I can.� (ARC 187)
Much to my delight, I have discovered a new teen justice and change seeker, eighth grader Savannah Braden. Sav and her family just moved from Orlando to Sandy Dunes, Florida. Living on the beach is not Savanah’s dream. In fact, ever since viewing the movie JAWS, she has feared the ocean—and sharks.
Missing her best friend Maisy, although they are � interconnected like seaweed,� the first possible friend Savannah meets is Tanner Markell who is in her classes and Marine Club, is popular, and whose family owns the local charter fishing business. Invited to the opening of his family’s swanky restaurant, Sav is served shark fin soup. When she finds out what she is eating, she throws up, leaves the restaurants, and starts researching the inhumane ways shark fins are obtained and the applicable laws for buying and selling shark fins. She then finds her passion—saving the sharks.
But this passion turns more into a vendetta against the Markells and their restaurant, and Sav talks two classmates, Rav and Belen, into helping her close the restaurant or at least serving shark fin soup; she then decides to also close down their fishing business. With noble intentions but in typical 13-year-fashion, she initiates schemes that are harmful (setting out roaches in the restaurant and pumping water into the gas tank of the charter boat), gets in a lot of trouble, and alienates her new friends—and even Maisy. “It’s hard to make friends when you’re making waves.� (ARC 233) She also posts pictures of Tanner and Grant catching a shark (which dies upon release), her actions verging on cyberbullying.
Attending the Coalition for Sharks meetings, Savannah gathers the courage to participate in a family shark dive and realizes that she needs to change her tactics and speak out, a task that is very difficult for her, to actually help save the sharks. “Is this what Mom and Dad meant about doing the right thing the right way? Maybe it’s about focusing on what I’m fighting FOR, instead of only what I’m fighting AGAINST.� ARC 270)
Full of three-dimensional characters—Tanner, older sister Arbor, Maisy, Rav (a/k/a Benedicta), as well as quirky characters such as Tanner’s grandfather, Mr. Hopewell, and a main character who also shows readers something about navigating life as a Deaf teen with cochlear implants.
Much to my delight, I have discovered a new teen justice and change seeker, eighth grader Savannah Braden. Sav and her family just moved from Orlando to Sandy Dunes, Florida. Living on the beach is not Savanah’s dream. In fact, ever since viewing the movie JAWS, she has feared the ocean—and sharks.
Missing her best friend Maisy, although they are � interconnected like seaweed,� the first possible friend Savannah meets is Tanner Markell who is in her classes and Marine Club, is popular, and whose family owns the local charter fishing business. Invited to the opening of his family’s swanky restaurant, Sav is served shark fin soup. When she finds out what she is eating, she throws up, leaves the restaurants, and starts researching the inhumane ways shark fins are obtained and the applicable laws for buying and selling shark fins. She then finds her passion—saving the sharks.
But this passion turns more into a vendetta against the Markells and their restaurant, and Sav talks two classmates, Rav and Belen, into helping her close the restaurant or at least serving shark fin soup; she then decides to also close down their fishing business. With noble intentions but in typical 13-year-fashion, she initiates schemes that are harmful (setting out roaches in the restaurant and pumping water into the gas tank of the charter boat), gets in a lot of trouble, and alienates her new friends—and even Maisy. “It’s hard to make friends when you’re making waves.� (ARC 233) She also posts pictures of Tanner and Grant catching a shark (which dies upon release), her actions verging on cyberbullying.
Attending the Coalition for Sharks meetings, Savannah gathers the courage to participate in a family shark dive and realizes that she needs to change her tactics and speak out, a task that is very difficult for her, to actually help save the sharks. “Is this what Mom and Dad meant about doing the right thing the right way? Maybe it’s about focusing on what I’m fighting FOR, instead of only what I’m fighting AGAINST.� ARC 270)
Full of three-dimensional characters—Tanner, older sister Arbor, Maisy, Rav (a/k/a Benedicta), as well as quirky characters such as Tanner’s grandfather, Mr. Hopewell, and a main character who also shows readers something about navigating life as a Deaf teen with cochlear implants.
September 14, 2024
Savannah is having a hard time in her new home of Sandy Dune, Florida away from all of her friends who understood her. Although having cochlear implants is making life easier, making new friends is not, especially after Sav makes a scene at the restaurant belonging to the family of her new acquaintance Tanner. Sav is horrified to learn that the soup she is served is made from shark fins. As an animal lover, her distress sends her on a quest to find out more about sharks. As a result, she begins to take action, and her actions get her and others into serious trouble. Eventually, Sav learns how to take action productively and makes some real friends. In the process, she changes from a charge-ahead-at-all-costs hothead to a more thoughtful, productive activist who learns how to galvanize people to action.
October 9, 2024
Wow this one blew me away!
Sav is a character with a big heart for animals and once she has a cause, she just doesn't give up. I liked that she is representation of a character with a hearing impairment. We get to learn more about that and what it's like from her.
Some of the things Sav does I didn't love. She was going too far and she learns from it.
I liked that she steps out of her comfort zone to get more used to the ocean and to see how special sharks really are.
I learned a lot about sharks from this book and how they need to be protected.
I was glad she was able to find her place in this new town and figure out between right and wrong. I liked that she apologized to her friends and wanted to help them too.
This is a great middle grade read. I really enjoyed it and I know many middle grade students at the library will too.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
Sav is a character with a big heart for animals and once she has a cause, she just doesn't give up. I liked that she is representation of a character with a hearing impairment. We get to learn more about that and what it's like from her.
Some of the things Sav does I didn't love. She was going too far and she learns from it.
I liked that she steps out of her comfort zone to get more used to the ocean and to see how special sharks really are.
I learned a lot about sharks from this book and how they need to be protected.
I was glad she was able to find her place in this new town and figure out between right and wrong. I liked that she apologized to her friends and wanted to help them too.
This is a great middle grade read. I really enjoyed it and I know many middle grade students at the library will too.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.
October 13, 2024
Savannah is new in town and struggling to adjust. When a cute boy named Tanner invites her to a gathering, things take a turn for the worse after an embarrassing incident at his family’s restaurant. This mishap draws Savannah into an animal rights cause that challenges her at every turn. Her willpower, confidence, and bravery are tested as she embarks on a mission to save sharks from a cruel practice that decimates them for a soup delicacy. Relationships become complicated as some characters blur the line between friend and foe. Along the way, readers gain new insights—learning that sharks aren’t as dangerous as the media portrays and play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. This fast-paced book kept me hooked, and I finished it in just a few days, eager to see how Savannah’s mission would unfold.
October 19, 2024
Author Kerry O’Malley Cerra has written a page-turner that will leave you rooting for the main character Savannah from the first page. Sav is the new kid in town when she unexpectedly becomes a young activist whose desire to save sharks is matched only by her passionate spirit and entertaining personality. Her methods aren’t always her best choices at first, but with her heart in the right place, she learns along the way. Cerra tackles a relevant subject and illustrates how one person can impact others to make change. The ending is particularly satisfying, especially when a character tells Sav that she has started a mini-movement, adding, “You ‘ve got people fired up.� Readers will get fired up after reading this novel, along with the knowledge that one person can make a difference, starting by making a little wave. I finished this book feeling inspired and hopeful. Absolutely loved it!
September 12, 2024
I’d been hearing a lot about this book in newsletters and email blasts for librarians and was excited to read it. The story follows Sav, a middle school student who is starting in a new school after her family moved. Sav embarks on the activist cause of saving sharks from cruel fishing techniques and takes on a local restaurant, which is the primary plot for the majority of the story. Along the way, she deals with making new friends, dealing with authority figures, and figuring out how to best pursue her goals.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I found that the first half dragged on, and I’m somewhat unsure if I want my middle grade students to get any ideas from Sav’s adventures.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I found that the first half dragged on, and I’m somewhat unsure if I want my middle grade students to get any ideas from Sav’s adventures.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
September 29, 2024
Sav makes a wave in her new Marine Life magnet middle school when she works to change a whole city’s view of shark fishing and finning. The shy girl with her new cochlear implants comes to this school to make friends and try to make the best of it after being moved away from her friends and school. She takes the shark fishing industry head on and learns all there is to know about sharks and the proper ways of activism. This was a fun story for the young at heart who have an interest in helping marine life. Kerry O’Malley Cerra teaches how to properly protest, be a friend, and continue to fight for what you love. Thank you Sav for making waves and teaching me to continue fighting for things I love.
October 16, 2024
Sav (short for Savannah) is a kind, likeable girl, so when she goes about trying to ban shark finning, you want her to succeed. Unfortunately, her activism involves minor acts of sabotage on her classmate's family business, and though amusing (I couldn't wait to see what she tried next), her actions land her in hot water. Through support of family, friends, and fellow activists, and also through forgiveness, Sav learn a more effective way to get people to listen to her. Filled wih all kinds of interesting facts about sharks and the ocean, Make a Little Wave is a fun read for all ages.
January 6, 2025
Thank you to Lerner Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!
I DNFed at 60% when the main character started filling the gas tank of a boat with water!!! That was very extreme and an absolutely wild thing to read in a middle-grade book. From other reviews, it seems she does face consequences from this, but I just can't get behind a character so stubborn to such an extreme degree. Maybe in a YA book.
I DNFed at 60% when the main character started filling the gas tank of a boat with water!!! That was very extreme and an absolutely wild thing to read in a middle-grade book. From other reviews, it seems she does face consequences from this, but I just can't get behind a character so stubborn to such an extreme degree. Maybe in a YA book.
February 24, 2025
Rating g+ conservation “violence� description of finning, removing shark fins while the shark is alive. And a couple other animal cruelty moments. No profanity, no sex. “Dating� in middle school.
Recommend: realistic fiction, jh and up, activist in training. Great for 7th 8th grade.
A good balance of the kid going deep into a subject, getting in some trouble, parents setting boundaries but also supporting the passion their kid has found.
And lots of shark info.
Recommend: realistic fiction, jh and up, activist in training. Great for 7th 8th grade.
A good balance of the kid going deep into a subject, getting in some trouble, parents setting boundaries but also supporting the passion their kid has found.
And lots of shark info.
January 31, 2025
It was very informative about sharks which I loved. I do love how it shows kids can use their voices to make change too! Goodness I do not like bad kids and Sav the lead was bit much for me most of the book.
March 7, 2025
Inspiring and informative novel! Packed with important science, I learned a lot as I cheered (and cringed) watching Sav navigate her way as a budding activist. Middle grade perfection.
December 22, 2024
Middle school is a tough time for any kid to move. When Savannah, also known as Sav, and her family move from the central part of Florida to a beach town she is not overly thrilled. You can love marine life, but not like the water so very much. Sav has a hearing problem and has had cochlear implants. She fears the water and I was able to relate that to my grandmother. We came to Florida on vacation. We could only get her in water almost to her knees. She had a fear of falling in, the darkness of the water, ruining her hearing aid. She was always afraid of water. She was fine watching it from a distance. This kind of remined me of Sav. Another thing that is difficult for most kids moving during middle school is having to leave old friends and meet new ones. Sav is lucky that she meets Tanner. This is also where her problems begin. She’s invited to their new restaurant and learns the soup she is eating is Shark Fin soup. She conducts research and learns how horrible it is for the sharks to have their fins removed then thrown back into the ocean to die.
She along with two other new friends decide to do something. Unfortunately Sav has chosen several methods that are illegal to get her message across. The upside to this book is that it shows teens that no matter what their age they can make a difference. It teaches them that they do have a voice and should use it to make a difference in the world. I think many of my middle school students could relate to this book. I have found that they are different from my generation when we were teens. We were not really made to feel we had a voice until we were much older. Kids today can and do make a difference simply by using their voice. Awesome book with an awesome message.
She along with two other new friends decide to do something. Unfortunately Sav has chosen several methods that are illegal to get her message across. The upside to this book is that it shows teens that no matter what their age they can make a difference. It teaches them that they do have a voice and should use it to make a difference in the world. I think many of my middle school students could relate to this book. I have found that they are different from my generation when we were teens. We were not really made to feel we had a voice until we were much older. Kids today can and do make a difference simply by using their voice. Awesome book with an awesome message.
June 26, 2024
“I will save the sharks. Like that scientist, Mr. Beebe said. There is light in the ocean.�
🦈
Sav is feeling out of sorts. Her family has just moved to a new town where she only knows one person, a popular boy named Tanner, and she’s still adjusting to her cochlear implants. After he asks her to hang out at his family’s new restaurant Sav realizes the soup she’s eating is shark fin soup. She has such a strong reaction to eating an animal she’s afraid of, but also, after researching it, realizes how inhumane the process is to obtain shark fins. She’s appalled and wants to do something about it. When Sav finds a cause, she can’t stop fighting for it. Unfortunately she goes about it the wrong way time after time, driving her new (and old) friends away. Soon she figures out the right way to protest and make her voice heard. Can she make a little wave of a difference?
🦈
I read this one sitting on the plane to ALA today and whew! This was such a powerful MG novel by @kerryomalleycerra Fans of Carl Hiassen’s #books as well as Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee will devour this one as well. Kerry does an amazing job of weaving various topics into this book without it being too many all at once. She covers issues such as saving our planet, social media, fitting in, bullying, standing up for what you believe in, as well as friendship and sibling issues. It will show our children how to fight for their own causes in the right way. I also see it as a great one to pair with science classes to discuss environmentalism and social justice. This #clifi title needs to be on the radar of every librarian or teacher the works with middle grade students. It releases October 1!
CW: bullying/cyberbullying, animal death, emesis, vandalized, trespassing, parental abandonment
.
🦈
Sav is feeling out of sorts. Her family has just moved to a new town where she only knows one person, a popular boy named Tanner, and she’s still adjusting to her cochlear implants. After he asks her to hang out at his family’s new restaurant Sav realizes the soup she’s eating is shark fin soup. She has such a strong reaction to eating an animal she’s afraid of, but also, after researching it, realizes how inhumane the process is to obtain shark fins. She’s appalled and wants to do something about it. When Sav finds a cause, she can’t stop fighting for it. Unfortunately she goes about it the wrong way time after time, driving her new (and old) friends away. Soon she figures out the right way to protest and make her voice heard. Can she make a little wave of a difference?
🦈
I read this one sitting on the plane to ALA today and whew! This was such a powerful MG novel by @kerryomalleycerra Fans of Carl Hiassen’s #books as well as Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee will devour this one as well. Kerry does an amazing job of weaving various topics into this book without it being too many all at once. She covers issues such as saving our planet, social media, fitting in, bullying, standing up for what you believe in, as well as friendship and sibling issues. It will show our children how to fight for their own causes in the right way. I also see it as a great one to pair with science classes to discuss environmentalism and social justice. This #clifi title needs to be on the radar of every librarian or teacher the works with middle grade students. It releases October 1!
CW: bullying/cyberbullying, animal death, emesis, vandalized, trespassing, parental abandonment
.
June 27, 2024
Years ago, right after we moved into a our first little house, I'd let my toddlers happily frolic on our lawn. But then, I started noticing ChemLawn trucks everywhere. All my neighbors were marinating their grass in pesticide. Dead birds (plural!) were turning up on my lawn, on the street... Long story short, I learned about the dangers of pesticide overuse, and this cause consumed me. I became such an outspoken, passionate activist for organic lawn care and reduction of pesticides, that I lost friends.
This memory of this time came flooding back to me when I read Kerry O'Malley Cerra's MAKE A LITTLE WAVE. It is about the heartbreaks and the victories that happen when you care deeply about a just cause.
I adored this book.
Young Savannah (Sav) is driven by her passion to try and save sharks. I loved how Sav was this wonderful mixture of admirable and not-so-admirable traits, yet learning---always learning from her trials and errors in judgment. (Her steadfastness is admirable, although her methods at first leave a lot to be desired!)
I learned important things about sharks from reading this story. I didn't realize how endangered they were. Or how important to ocean health. I know more, now. And I care.
This is a beautiful book about an interesting, admirable, exasperating, wonderful young girl with tremendous spirit and a passionate desire to be the change she wants to see in the world. What a wonderful example she is to all of us.
This memory of this time came flooding back to me when I read Kerry O'Malley Cerra's MAKE A LITTLE WAVE. It is about the heartbreaks and the victories that happen when you care deeply about a just cause.
I adored this book.
Young Savannah (Sav) is driven by her passion to try and save sharks. I loved how Sav was this wonderful mixture of admirable and not-so-admirable traits, yet learning---always learning from her trials and errors in judgment. (Her steadfastness is admirable, although her methods at first leave a lot to be desired!)
I learned important things about sharks from reading this story. I didn't realize how endangered they were. Or how important to ocean health. I know more, now. And I care.
This is a beautiful book about an interesting, admirable, exasperating, wonderful young girl with tremendous spirit and a passionate desire to be the change she wants to see in the world. What a wonderful example she is to all of us.
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