Stingray City
SERIES: Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians, Book 3
Written by Ellen Prager
Illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo
Mighty Media Junior Readers       5/03/2016
978-1-938063-70-1
280 pages     Ages 9—13

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“Being a teenager is never easy.
Especially when you can talk to sharks!
Hunt has enough to worry about with girl troubles,
his parents, and trying to keep his extraordinary abilities
a secret. But when Tristan and his friends are called upon to
investigate the disappearance of stingrays and other ocean life in the
waters off Grand Cayman, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been
before. Can Tristan solve the mystery of the missing stingrays and save
them from a horrible fate? Or will he and his friends become the stingray-nappers next victims?

“Join Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians on
their most dangerous adventure yet.”
[back cover]

Review
Before I begin, let me say I love the back matter above. Can you see the stingray? I’ve been to Grand Cayman—made up of two islands: Grand Cayman and Little Cayman—where this story is located and I swam with the stingrays—one of the most exciting experiences I had in the Caribbean. So I have high expectations for Stingray City, the actual name of the place where stingrays gather for the friendly squid feedings. If you have the opportunity to go to Stingray City, please go. You’ll enjoy this unusual experience.

Tristan and his friends, Sam, Hugh, Rosina, and Ryder are off to Grand Cayman Island and Stingray City when dozens of stingrays are missing. Most of the fish and rays are not talking, too scared to speak. Others are hiding, staying deeply covered on the ocean floor. Something or someone has taken half the stingrays. Grand Cayman officials are hopeful the Sea Guardians can find out what is happening. Led by an eccentric inventor, the team swims out to talk to the local fish. Suddenly, and without warning, a cargo ship’s bow opens. The rushing water sucks in Tristan, Hugh, and Sam. With three teens held captive, the team not only needs to find the missing stingrays, but must also rescue three campers. Will the kids make it home in time for Christmas?

Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians is a great choice for both boys and girls, age 7 and up. Even adults will love Tristan and his friends, as they tirelessly work to save the world’s oceans. Prager’s writing continues to improve with a story full of humor and heart, twists and plausible situations. Readers will feel the water at their heels, as sea creatures once again help the teens in their quest, making heroes of these lovely creatures. On the cusp of their third year of training, the campers have gained confidence in their abilities, though none as much as Tristan. Tristan possesses a dangerous amount of confidence, which gets him and two friends into a seemingly hopeless situation. It is up to the other characters to rescue the teens, giving them a moment to shine.

Many of the locations in Stingray City are real, as explained in an author’s note. The same holds true for the first two editions, one based in the Bahamas and the other in the British Virgin Islands. If you are thinking of visiting any of these areas, the Tristan Hunt series is the perfect introduction for your kids. Between the series and its website, kids and adults can learn much about ocean life, habitats, and the unusual traits and abilities some of these sea creatures possess. The Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians a wonderful tool for science teachers, conservationists, and others working with middle school kids and teens.

If the series does continues, and I sincerely hope it will, the next story might involve green algae blooms that choke our waters, such as those that bloomed in Lake Erie the past few years. Tristan gets the call for this situation at story’s end. I hope this is a sign of another Sea Guardians story is on its way. I would love to know how the teens solve this problem, given much of the trouble begins on land. Until then, Shark Whisperer, Shark Rider, and Stingray City will captivate readers who give Tristan and his friends their much-deserved attention. If Stingray City is truly the last Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians story, I will miss the characters in and out of the waters. Well, maybe not the villains.

ENTER TO WIN SIGNED COPY OF THE SHARK WHISPERER AND THE SHARK RIDER
**Ellen Prager and Mighty Media Junior Readers are giving away signed copies of The Shark Whisperer and The Shark Rider (books 1 and 2) to a KLR reader. For a chance to win these two books, simply enter HERE. The Robocopter gives you many chances to enter—all quick and easy, including a daily entry.
Winner Announced March 14th.

STINGRAY CITY (TRISTAN HUNT AND THE SEA GUARDIANS, BOOK 3). Text copyright © 2016 by Ellen Prager. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Antonio Javier Caparo. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Mighty Media Junior Readers, Minneapolis, MN.

Amazon—Book Depository—Indie Books—Mighty Media Junior Readers.

The Shark Whisperer [reviewed here] 
The Shark Rider [reviewed here]
Stingray City [cover reveal here]

Find Stingray City on Goodreads HERE.

Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians’ Website is HERE.  http://tristan-hunt.com/
Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians’ Facebook Page is HERE.

Find Activities HERE* and HERE.

Check out The Shark Whisperer Graphic Novel by Molly Murakami HERE.

Ellen Prager:  http://www.earth2ocean.net/
Follow on Twitter          @elprager

Antonio Javier Caparo:  http://www.antoniocaparo.com/
Follow on Facebook

Mighty Media Junior Readers:  http://mightymediapress.com/
Follow on Twitter          @MightyPress 

.       . Mighty Media Junior Readers is an imprint of Mighty Media Press.

STINGRAY CITY (TRISTAN HUNT AND THE SEA GUARDIANS, BOOK 3). Illustrations © 2016 by Antonio Javier Caparo. Used by permission of Mighty Media Junior Readers.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Full Disclosure: Stingray City Tristan Hunt and the Sea Guardians, #3) by Ellen Prager & Antonio Javier Caparo, and received from Mighty Media Junior Readers, (an imprint of Mighty Media Press), is in exchange NOT for a positive review, but for an HONEST review. The opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Answer Key to Activity is HERE.