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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSJaney Chlebek says goodbye to her classmates and her best friend Rae in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, in January 1993, because her family is sailing off again on the Merimaid, the 42-foot boat her dad built. Her mom is also her homeschool teacher, her dad calls her Star Stuff, and Janey loves hearing Carl Sagan talk about space (a Sagan line is her dad's favorite saying). The first days at sea are rough. Janey gets seasick, a prank gone wrong earns her a lecture about being in "Real Sailor Mode," and the crossing to the Bahamas leaves her miserable. After that come lonely months with almost no kids around, letters to Rae that keep up the stuffed-cat story the two girls made up before she left (Princess Mewlin and Jack Cattery), a day at a school in Marsh Harbour as a birthday present, flying fish, and a blue hole that scares her. Then, in St. Thomas, Janey spots a boat called the Valhalla through her binoculars and meets Astrid, a daring girl who says she looks after her little sister and brother. Astrid makes Janey want to be braver, but she can also hurt Janey's feelings.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Sea Legs
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Sea Legs. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a girl correct her dad for calling a star in Ursa Major the North Star?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
Lying on deck at night, Dad says they're looking at a four-thousand-year-old snapshot of the North Star, but Janey tells him that's part of Ursa Major and Polaris is up in Ursa Minor. Dad jokes that it's a good thing they swung for that GPS.
- First half
In what book does a mom say her daughter keeps rereading a book about uncanny cats instead of studying geography?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
During a fight about geography, Mom says Janey can't skim everything and should stop reading Uncanny Cats for the thousandth time. Janey argues that many of the book's mysteries have yet to be solved.
- First half
In what book is a girl's star sign two fish, when she hoped for something cool like a gorilla?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
At lunch, Astrid calls Janey's love of stories "very Pisces" and laughs when she learns Janey's birthday is March sixth. Astrid, a Scorpio, brags that she's kind of incredible at reading people's signs.
- Second half
In what book does a best friend ask "are we still best friends?" on a long-distance call?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
Janey keeps bringing up her new friend Astrid, and Rae says all Janey wants to talk about is her new friend. Janey insists they are best friends forever, but Rae soon says it's dinner time and hangs up.
- Second half
In what book does a friend leave a girl alone in an old fort to find the tunnel out?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
At Fort Segarra, Astrid crawls back out the way they came in and tells Janey to take the tunnel at the bottom that leads outside. When Janey begs her not to go, Astrid says she's "like really, really brave, so it's fine."
- Near the end
In what book does a friend say an old water tank has just a little algae, not diseases?
✓ Answer
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith
Astrid tells a sweaty Janey to stick her foot down the hatch because the air is super cool. When Janey worries about weird stuff like diseases, Astrid says there's just a little algae and climbs down into the water.
