Night of the Howling Dogs

On the Big Island of Hawaii, Dylan’s Scout troop hikes down into the desolation of an ancient lava flow to camp on a small beach below the volcano. It’s beautiful. Peaceful. But there’s a problem: Louie Domingo. He and Dylan share a secret history, and it lies like a shark beneath the surface of everything they do. … Until the world comes apart. Foreshadowed by two mysterious howling dogs, a disaster of unearthly proportions strikes. No one is spared its horror. But over the next hours Dylan learns the true meaning of leadership and the will to survive. More amazing still is that this story actually happened.

Awards:

  • 2007 New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • 2007 NAPPA Gold Award (National Parenting Publications Award)
  • 2007 Junior Library Guild Premier Selection Award
  • 2008 Texas Lone Star Readnig List
  • 2008 New York Library Books for the Teen Age
  • 2008 Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year     (Adventure & Mystery)
  • 2009-2010 Volunteer State Book Award Nominee
  • 2009 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee
  • An NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book
  • 2009 Nevada Young Readers Award Nominee
  • 2008 Oregon Book Award Nominee
  • 2009-2010 William Allen White Children’s Book Award Master List
  • 2009-2010 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee
  • 2009-2010 Mark Twain Readers Award List
  • 2010 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee
  • 2009 Nene Award Nominee (Hawaii State Children’s Choice Book Award)
  • Texas Children’s Lamplighter Award Nominee
  • Intermediate Sequoyah Masterlist 2010 (Oklahoma Library Association)
  • 2010 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
  • 2010 Utah Beehive Award Nominee
  • 2010-2011 Minnesota Youth Reading Awards nominee
 
 

Blue Skin of the Sea

Eleven luminous stories follow Sonny Mendoza and his cousin, Keo, young men who grow up in a Hawaiian fishing village, a world of dazzling beauty, powerful family ties, and vivid characters: Aunty Pearl, a full blooded Hawaiian as regal as the queens of old; cool Jack, from L.A., who starts a gang and dares Sonny to be brave enough, cruel enough, to join; mysterious Melanie, who steals his heart; and Deeps, the shark hunter. But the most memorable character is the sea itself: inviting, unpredictable, deadly. Mendoza men are brave men, but Sonny's courage is of a different kind. Why can't he love and trust the water as the men of his family are meant to do?

Awards:

  • 1992 Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal
  • 1992 Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association
  • 1992 Parent's Choice Book Award
  • Bank Street Child Study Book Award for 1992
  • Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, Women's National Book Association 
  • 1993 Oregon Book Award
  • 1993 NCTE Notable Trade Book in the Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English 
  • PEN/Norma Klein Award, PEN American Center in honor of Norma Klein (Biennial prize recognizes an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction.

Lord of the Deep

Fishing. This is it, the big time. Mikey's 13, a deckhand working on a charter boat in Hawaii. Working for the best skipper anywhere, his step-dad, Bill. Before Bill came along, it was just Mikey and his mom. Now they're a real family, and Mikey has a little brother. He can't believe how lucky he is. And now he's learning from the best, even though he's only 13. Because Bill believes in him. And Mikey won't let him down. He loves fishing and being out on the boat. But some seas, some fish, and some charter clients are a lot tougher to handle than Mikey ever imagined. Take Ernie and Cal—they chartered Bill's boat for three days and they’re out for the adventure of their lives. Now it's up to Mikey and Bill to deliver it.

Awards:

  • Winner of the 2002 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
  • School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, starred review
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2002
  • Booklist Magazine's Editor's Choice for 2001
  • Horn Book Fan Fare selection 2001, starred review
  • A Best of the Year Book, Cooperative Children's Book Center
  • Riverbank Review 2002 Children's Books of Distinction (Finalist)
  • New York Public Library 2001 Title for Reading and Sharing
  • The Bulletin Magazine's Blue Ribbon List for 2001
  • Parents' Choice Fall 2001 Gold Award Winner
  • 2002-2003 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award master list (Vermont children's choice)
  • Capitol Choices book for 2001
  • 2004 Nebraska Young Adult Golden Sower Award Nominee
  • 2003-2004 Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee
  • 2003-2004 Virginia Young Reader Award Nominee
  • 2004-2005 Indiana Young Hoosier Award Nominee
  • 2004-2005 Texas Blue Bonnet Award Master List
    Hear Graham's Boston Globe/Horn Book Award speech
    (also in real audio format)

Island Boyz

Feel the rush of leaping off a cliff into a ravine. Know what it's like when a brother returns from war changed forever. See deep into the mystery of sharks and spirit guides. Survive prep school, hurricanes, the night shift at Taco Bell, first love. Graham Salisbury is an island boy himself. In this rich collection, his love for Hawaii -- for the land, for its boyz and the amazing girls in their lives -- shines through every story.

Awards:

  • Best of the Best 2002, Booklist Editor's Choice
  • 2003 Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library
  • "Best of the Best" 2003, Chicago Public Library's list 

Shark Bait