Fall 2024

Saltwater Boy

  • Interest Level: Grade 8 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 6

When Matthew’s dad gets in trouble, he makes trouble for everyone else too.

But with Dad in jail, Matthew and his mom have a chance to put their pieces back together.

Mom makes plans for a summer down the coast, fixing up Grandpa’s old place in an effort to make ends meet. The beach, the swirling rockpools, and the vast ocean offer new perspective and promise for Matthew as he strikes up a friendship with Bill, an old local who recognizes a fellow ‘Saltwater Boy.’ Bill shows Matthew how to find pippis and catch fish (and even make a few dollars from it). Bill becomes the paternal figure that Dad isn’t—wise and patient—but Bill isn’t welcomed in town, and Matthew begins to witness old rivalries and buried truths resurface.

Then Dad gets out on parole, and his recklessness puts everything, and everyone, at risk.

Heartfelt and poignant, this captivating coming-of-age story navigates the difficult terrain of fractured families, the lies that break, and the ties that bind.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-76065-940-0
$14.99
978-1-76160-007-4
$23.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 8 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 6
Genre Young Adult
Category SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: D Relationship Skills, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2024
Publisher Walker Books Australia
Imprint Walker Books Australia
Language English
Number of Pages 400
Publication Date 2024-10-01
Text Type Fiction
BISACS YAF007000, YAF018060, YAF046040
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 5 x 7.75
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Reviewed, and Teaching Guides

Author: Bradley Christmas

Bradley Christmas is a full-time writer—and moonlighting musician—who splits his time between Sydney and his beloved beach shack on the NSW South Coast of Australia. Saltwater Boy is his first YA novel.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

Saltwater Boy

When Matthew’s dad gets in trouble, he makes trouble for everyone else too. But with Dad in jail, Matthew and his mom have a chance to put their pieces back together. Mom makes plans for a summer down the coast, fixing up Grandpa’s old place in View available downloads →

Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

“A beautiful, moving debut for sophisticated readers.”—Kirkus Reviews

School Library Journal

“A beautifully written love story to the Australian coast meets a coming-of-age saga. . . .”—School Library Journal