Don't Go Near The Water
June 12, 2001
Summer will soon be with us again. It is the time for taking cruises and going to the beaches. It is always wise to be careful, which is why Paul Mathews chose these books, because sometimes things can go wrong.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
Monsters of the Sea by Richard Ellis.
RC 42471.
Ellis, a cryptozoologist who studies the reported existence of unknown creatures, provides an analysis of some of the terrifying "monsters" people throughout history have believed to live in the sea. Through
further research, the unknown and unnamed "monsters" became such "familiar" creatures as octopuses, whales, manatees, and sharks. Ellis also discusses the need to protect and preserve the creatures
of the sea.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
RC 53792, BR 10599.
A short novel of an old Cuban fisherman who hooks a huge marlin after 85 days without a single catch. Battling the sea, the fisherman tows the marlin back to Havana, only to find that sharks have eaten it.
Jaws by Peter Benchley.
RC 7150, 2585.
The residents of a Long Island resort town called Amity decide to cover up a young woman's death when pieces of her body, obviously having been attacked by a shark, washes up on the beach. News of a killer shark,
after all, could ruin the summer business. But the shark strikes a second time. Strong language.
Jaws 2 by Hank Searls.
RC 12324.
A killer shark again plagues the resort town of Amity. The town ignores the warning signs until the shark destroys a downed Navy helicopter and consumes its pilots. Strong language.
Beast by Peter Benchley.
RC 33049.
The waters around Bermuda are fished out, and a giant squid, driven by the shortage, begins to feast on humans. Its first victims are a couple headed home from a romantic six month cruise. Its next victims are the
twins of a New York media magnate. Whip Darling, an expert on the deep, identifies the killer by marks left on several wrecks. Can anyone stop this enormous beast and its insatiable appetite? Some strong language.
Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten.
RC 44838.
Professor Jonas Taylor theorizes that the great white shark that thrived seventy million years ago and could devour a Tyrannosaurus Rex may exist beneath the sea. When his research causes a great white shark named Meg
to emerge, Taylor is unprepared to handle her or her young. Some violence and some strong language.
Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals by William Ratigan.
RC 47621.
History of maritime disasters on each of the North American inland seas: Lake Michigan, Huron, Erie, Superior, and Ontario. Describes how vessels and their crews functioned during catastrophic storms. A separate
section details the November 1975 wreck of the cargo ship Edmund Fitzgerald.
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick.
RC 50271.
Relying mainly on the cabin boy's journal discovered in 1960, the author recounts the disastrous 1819 voyage of the whaling ship Essex. He describes the attack of an 85 foot bull sperm whale, and the
ensuing starvation, dehydration, and cannibalism that befell the shipwrecked survivors.