• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

Before the time of Moby Dick, when whaling ships first began hunting in the mid-Atlantic, the ocean was said to be harbor monsters. Below the nine islands of the Azores one such monster waits. He waits for those that murder his kin, the whalers with their longboats and deadly harpoons.

Antonio is a big man, a harpooner long sworn to kill the monster whale that plagues his homeland's waters. While chasing the great beast he finds a boy, wounded and floating on the sea. With no memory of who he is or where he came from, the boy's survival seems a miracle to the harpooner and Antonio becomes his protector. Together they face the rigors of life on a whaling vessel, hunting and killing the largest thing that has ever lived.

As the boy's respect for both the whaler and the whales themselves grows, he becomes tormented by visions and memories he doesn't understand. It's a life of blood and fire, sailing endlessly for whales to kill and render profits from.

Until they battle the leviathan, the monster whale that will lead the boy to the whaler's homeland. An island beset by pirates and war; an island that will restore his memories and teach the boy the true meaning of strength and courage.

Michael Moniz spent his childhood living between the big city and the tranquil Azores islands of Portugal. It is this unique upbringing and an early appreciation for culture and the arts that inspired Michael’s creativity at young age. His first book, Wazzyjump, also published by Simply Read Books, received a starred Kirkus review. The “luminous” and “delicacy” of its illustrations (Quill and Quire), as well as its “delightful tale of mystery, discovery, and friendship” (CM Magazine) are the signature for Michael’s whimsical creative style. When Michael is not telling stories, he works as an Artistic Director for a Toronto-based advertising agency.

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