Fish Finelli (Book 1): Seagulls Don't Eat Pickles

By E. S. Farber and Jason Beene

When bully Bryce Billings bets Fish Finelli that he can't find Captain Kidd's legendary long-lost treasure, Fish and his friends embark on a quest to find real-life pirate treasure. Between sneaking into the library to track down Captain Kidd's map, stowing away on a boat, and trespassing on an island, Fish and his friends have their work cut out for them. But will Fish actually be able to find Captain Kidd's booty and win the bet? Appropriate for both boys and girls, this first book in the Fish Finelli series will inspire readers to use their imaginations, learn about the world around them, and appreciate the bonds of friendship.

Includes bonus material!
- Sneak peek chapter from the next book in the Fish Finelli series Operation Fireball by E.S. Farber, illustrated by Jason Beene

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452126975

Book preview

Code Orange

It all started the morning I broke into my lobster piggy bank. I had chosen a basin wrench for the job. It’s a good tool for a delicate operation. I know this because my dad is a plumber and taught me lots of stuff about tools.

CLINK! CLINK! I shook the lobster a few times.

It sure sounded like there was a lot of money in there. I hoped it was at least $54.53. That was exactly how much I needed to buy the Seagull. In case you’re wondering, the seagull I’m talking about isn’t the aquatic bird. It’s one of the finest motor boat engines ever made. And I had to get it soon. See, I’ve been fixing up this boat with my best friends, Roger and T. J. We want to race it in the Captain Kidd Classic, the biggest boat race of the summer.

I held the lobster bank with my fingers over the part on the shell that read Lobster-Palooza—Where Lobsters Rock! The Lobster-Palooza festival happens every summer in our town of Whooping Hollow. I won the lobster bank for bringing in a blue lobster I caught with my Uncle Norman. Only one in about three million lobsters is blue, by the way.

I put the gripper end of the wrench into the Lobster-Palooza lobster’s pincer claw. I pulled gently. Nothing happened, so I pulled a little harder.

CRACK! The pincer claw snapped off. Money flew in the air.

PLOP! Dimes and pennies landed in the fishbowl. Nikola Tesla, my goldfish, started swimming around like

crazy. As I was fishing the coins out of Nikola Tesla’s bowl, I heard a scream. Help! Ugly-Buggly!

Fish! my mom called up the stairs. Help your sister, please. I’m baking!

My real name is Norman, by the way, but I’ve been called Fish ever since I can remember. Uncle Norman, who I’m named after, said it was my first word. I was on his boat when an angry bluefish took a chomp out of his finger. I laughed and said Fish.

Aaahhh! my four-year-old sister, Feenie, shrieked again.

I took off down the hall.

It’s in there! said Feenie, moving her arms so her fairy wings flapped up and down like she was trying to fly. And it’s the biggest one ever!

WALKIE-TALKIE

Developed during World War II for military communi-cations via air waves, it was both a transmitter and a receiver that weighed about 35 pounds and was carried like a back-pack. Today it has a half-duplex channel so only one radio can transmit at a time, although many can listen.

The Ugly-Buggly jumped out from behind the toilet. It was huge. Bigger than a praying mantis, with long brown tentacles and legs as fat as noodles. I didn’t want to tell Feenie, but she was right. It was the biggest one I’d ever seen. I definitely needed help.

I raced back to my room. Dude, our old black cat, was sleeping on my bottom bunk. I’m on a mission, Dude, so scram! Dude gave me a look, but he hopped off the bed. I reached under the mattress and pulled out my walkie-talkie. I pressed the PTT (Push To Talk) button.

Roger, the walkie-talkie crackled to life.

I peered out my bedroom window, which looked right into Roger’s bedroom window. We’ve been next door neighbors for almost ten years, ever since we were born.

This is Roger! came Roger’s staticky, walkie-talkie voice. Do you read me?

Read and copy! I said.

Whale Creek in fifteen?

Sure, but Roger—

Roger, ten-four, over and out, said Roger’s staticky voice.

Roger, no, I said. Roger, it’s—

Roger that! said Roger. Over and—

No, Roger, I mean you, Roger, not roger, I said.

Oh, said Roger. Roger.

Will you stop rogering me, Roger? I said.

Wilco, said Roger.

We’ve got a situation!

What level? asked Roger.

Code Orange!

I’m there, said Roger. Secure the prisoner. You know, I got your back, dude.

Speaking of backs, don’t forget the Bug Patrol Emergency Backpack!

Roger, over and out! said Roger.

Ugly-Buggly

When I got back to the bathroom, Feenie was waving her magic wand up and down in front of the shower curtain.

What are you doing with that wand? I asked. Trying to make the bug disappear?

As if, said Feenie. I’m only a FAPIT, you know.

What’s a FAPIT? I shouldn’t have asked.

Fairy Princess in Training, said Feenie. "See, to disaway something you need to be a FUFAP, you know, a Full Fairy Princess."

"Disaway is not a word, Fee."

Is so, said Feenie, nodding her head up and down so hard her pigtails flew up beside her ears. It’s a magic word.

What does it mean then?

You have to be a FAPIT to understand, said Feenie.

Oh, brother, I said.

The back door slammed and Roger appeared at the top of the stairs. He was lugging an orange backpack with a big sticker of a tooth on it that read KEEP YOUR SMILE IN STYLE. He got it the last time he went to the dentist and had ten cavities.

We need a Number Three, I said.

Number Three? asked Roger, his brown eyes widening. We’ve never had a Number Three before.

I told you it was a Code Orange.

But when we got back to the bathroom, the tub was empty. The three of us eyed one another.

Where’d it go? whispered Feenie.

Down the drain? said Roger.

Impossible, I said. All insects have exoskeletons, you know, skeletons on the outsides of their bodies. So no way a big one, like an Ugly-Buggly, can squeeze through tiny holes like there are in a drain.

Fish, how could you forget the most important rule of Bug Patrol Operations? said Roger. Never underestimate the sly and sinister mind of a creepy-crawlie. He pulled back the shower curtain.

WHITE FLAG

Waving something white is the worldwide symbol of surrender. It started way back in ancient China and Rome. When one side didn’t want to fight anymore, they would wave something white on a stick. It was way easier for the other side to see than putting your shield over your head.

The Ugly-Buggly hopped out from behind a fold. We all jumped.

Aaahhh!

See, super-sly, just like I told you. Roger turned to the bug. Okay, Ugly-Buggly, we’ve got you surrounded. It’s white flag time.

Roger reached into the backpack and pulled out a magnifying glass, a pair of scissors, and a half-eaten tuna sandwich. The whole bathroom suddenly stank like rotten fish.

Pee-yew!

"So that’s what happened to my lunch," said Roger. Next he pulled out a jumbo-sized Cheezy Cheezers container. It had a number three on it.

Containment Sealer Device? I asked.

Right here, said Roger. He took out a piece of pink notebook paper with a heart on it that read Beck, you rock! It’s Summer’s love letter to Beck Billings. Perfect Containment Sealer Device, right?

How did you get it? I asked. I had a hunch that Summer, who was Roger’s older sister, would not be happy to know we were about to use her private love letter to trap an Ugly-Buggly. Beck happens to be Bryce Billings’s older brother and a star lacrosse player, and every girl at Marine Middle has a crush on him.

I found it in her trash, said Roger. "And I figured, hey, 'Reduce, reuse, recycle.’ Just trying to

Reviews for Fish Finelli (Book 1)

[alanbethcam_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I almost wasn't able to finish this book . . . because my eleven year old stole it and wouldn't give it back! He kept begging me to read it aloud, but I wouldn't, so he stole it to read for himself. The humor in the book was atrocious, exactly like a 4th-6th grader's humor. The two little sections I did read to my son (to catch his interest) had him in stitches and his older brother groaning. As soon as my son finishes reading it, I'll be handing it off to a ten year old I know, who will love it as much as we did!

[dmtcer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun for treasure hunting wanna-be's! What could be better than searching for Captain Kidd's lost treasure. Remember - the secret password is "SDEP, or - Seagulls Don't Eat Pickles!"

[sylliu_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this illustrated middle grade story, Fish Finelli is a smart, adventure-loving boy who sets off to find Captain Kidd's legendary lost treasure buried in a small island in Long Island sound. He and his buddies get into scrapes and near-disasters as they find a treasure map, avoid a Mystery Man on a similar quest, and arrive at Lyons Island to search for the treasure. What I liked about this book was the many factoids and illustrated side bars that gave interesting information, such as the history of pieces of eight or Nikolas Tesla. Fish Finelli also includes scientific tidbits in conversation, such as the definition of amps, the principles of photosynthesis, and the fact that seagulls don't like pickles. The ending came a bit abruptly and too pat, but otherwise, it was quite enjoyable.

[trickster4875 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received an advanced copy of this book and used as a read aloud to a first grade class. Although it was a little advanced for them (often had to explain words), we loved the story. It was filled with vivid descriptions and comical characters. I highly recommend this for students 3rd grade and up.

[satyridae · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

One of the ALA ARCs I picked up thinking it might be a fun book to have when kids come over. It didn't work for me at all. I found the inclusion of little didactic boxes about Tesla and microwaves and the like to be obtrusive. There's one kid who every time he's mentioned, is eating something. That's one of those things that, done in moderation, helps distinguish a character but done every time ruins a book for me.

I liked the boys, though. They were silly and real-sounding a lot of the time.

[veragodley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review: "Fish Finelli" was an advance readers' copy sent to Alamance Christian School (set to be released on April 16, 2013) and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I whole-heartedly agree with the above statement from the back of the book -- "a must read." While the "genre" of the book is listed for middle school, it is easily suitable for 4th grade and up. It is a "kid friendly" read, packed full of adventure.While reading the story, you will find tidbits of information on the sides of the pages that make the story even more interesting. Such as who Marco Polo is, what an osprey is, how the microwave came to be, and even that gum is made from rubber. The "tidbits" are short and easy for the reader to remember. This first book in this new children's series is great and I look for to future additions!! (reviewer P.Howard)

[jessikautz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a mother of 4 boys I struggle with finding books that will entertain, educate and keep them interested all at the same time. Fish Finelli is a raving success!! Full of adventure, laughs and suspense this book is a must read for any pre-teen boy!! I look forward to adding the entire Fish Finelli collection to our home library!

[saltypepper_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got this book through the Early Reviewers program. I had my 7.5 year old son in mind when I requested it. Here are his thoughts on the book:At first I didn't like this book. I thought it was going to be horrible and the adventure wasn't going to be very nice. Then my mom kept on telling me to read the first chapter, so I did. A couple days later I decided to read the rest, so I did.It was pretty good! It has lots of adventures, parts of an average book that you would like, such as a happy ending, very very very funny parts, and it's not too hard to read by yourself. It actually has pretty big printing so it's easier to read than most chapter books. It is funny. I thought it would be scary, and there even were some scary parts, but not TOO scary. The best part is the end, but, so I won't spill the beans (you know what I mean) I'm just going to tell you the parts that I liked and that I didn't like.I liked the facts on the sides in the book. I really liked the one about Nicola Tesla. He's one of my favorite scientists. I liked the pictures even though most of the ones in this early copy were just sketches. My favorite character, I actually have two, were Roger and T.J. I would want to be friends with them in real life. There were lots of cool things about this book.There's a second book coming out in 2014 (sadly). I want to read it. I wish it was coming out sooner, like Fall 2013. I recommended this book to my school friends at lunch time. Tomorrow I'm going to tell my teacher about it. I'm going to suggest that he get it for his classroom. I'm a second grader. I think kids who are interested in new books, treasure, pirates, adventure, inventions, humor, and fun would like this book a lot.

[suzols · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Seagulls Don't Eat Pickles" is the first in a new series by authoress and mother Erica Farber. The series will feature an extremely smart young boy and the adventures he has with his two best friends. They live on a small seaside town and crack jokes with the innocence of nine year olds and smarts of the more educationally advanced. Farber sprinkles the book with interesting non-fiction facts both in the dialog and small fact boxes placed throughout the text. What I loved:- The Characters. They are fun, quirky, and lovable. Boys can relate to them, and I think girls could too. I believe they are good role models in the sense that they find fun things to do by using their own wits and imagination. A great inspiration to this age of plugged in children wasting countless hours behind a screen. - The Idea. A children's book that sprinkles in factoids of interesting non-fiction information. It is a marvelous idea that I know my younger brother would absolutely adore ( if executed properly ). What I didn't love: - There could have been a clearer moral to the story. As it is, bad behavior ( though not explicitly encouraged) is liberally applied and never discouraged. The book could be such an example of regular kids doing extraordinary thing, yet it lacks any strong morals. As mentioned earlier, it is the kind of book that might inspire kids to get off the couch, use what they know, and have their own unique adventures and discoveries. But the boys role modeling this kind of a childhood have some rather questionable motives. Although I don't expect children stories heroes to be perfect goody goodies ( that would be boring and unrealistic), I can't agree that Fish and his friends could bet ( and we are not talking candy bars and marbles, we are talking a real bet of fifty dollars), trespass, lie, and steal without a single consequence for their actions. Instead of showing the negative side of bad behavior, the book almost glorifies it. A rash decision and huge lie premise the entire story, and yet everything turns out fine. The boys steal, trespass, and disobey in almost every set of adventures they have ( except the innocent bug capture at the beginning of the book), and yet never feel regret or suffer consequences. Once again I am not saying they need to behave better or be perfect. The fact that one co-star likes to annoy his sister is a normal part of being a young boy and doesn't bother me. The fact that the main character can steal an extremely important historical document and never be punished... well that doesn't go down quite so well. It is a delicate balance between realistic and role model, but I think it could be accomplished with a little more grace.- Sometimes the story seems a little bit unbelievable. My nine year old brother didn't like the way the map was so randomly found. With all the hype of trying so hard to figure things out, I think the author could have concluded in a smoother way that relied more on the boys wits rather then a huge coincidence ( stumbling upon a box while locked in an attic ). All in all - I think the concept of the Fish Finelli books is wonderful. I hope these books continue to grow in number and popularity. I wish the author every success. But there are a few things I'd love to see changed:I don't want to give a book to a child and then worry that it will inspire him to commit adult level crimes. I don't think it would be too difficult to weave a good moral into these stories, even if it just means giving the boys a good hardy grounding or a slice of humble pie at the end of the story. The story itself could be developed a tad bit more. A little more thought into development and climax could really expand the audience quite a bit. I'd say the average audience as it is right now would be closer to advanced 5 year olds to seven year olds. But the concept, characters, and basic principles would work great for 9 years and upwards, if the story was developed in a bit more of a full way.

[cabyrum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

According to my 8 yr old son this book deserves 5 stars :) He says he loved it and really enjoyed reading it as Fish tried to find Captain Kidd's treasure. The facts on the side of many of the pages were great as well. It's great when facts are thrown in to a fiction book for kids.

[ella6kennen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this book, and while it wasn’t bad, it didn’t particularly do anything for me, either. While I appreciate the author slipping facts into the narrative, the main character, Fish Finelli, comes off as a know-it-all. I would have appreciated a more seamless method of enrichment. Other characters feel cliché: the rich, obnoxious bully; the food-obsessed, generally clueless chubby friend; the mysterious shady character. The plot seems recycled as well: Fish and friends must find a pirate treasure before the mysterious librarian (spy?!?) does, or lose a bet with the resident baddy. My daughter enjoyed the book, but we kept putting it down and not coming back to it for days at a time (while other books of this length and for this age group can get inhaled in one sitting).

[cmtruxler_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fish Finelli Seagulls Don’t Eat Pickles a Fantastically Fun ReadSeagulls Don’t Eat Pickles is the first book in the Fish Finelli series written by E.S. Farber and illustrated by Jason Beene. As you might have guessed, “Fish” is a nickname; the main character’s given name is Norman, although no one would know it unless he himself offered the information. Along with his two friends, T.J. and Roger, Fish uses his mind, courage, and mouth to begin an adventure that is both entertaining and informational.In creating Fish and his friends, Farber has tapped into childhood wonderment and reality. The characters, both liked and disliked, leap from the pages to include the young reader in the experiences and adventures that make up Fish’s world. His is a world where anything is possible, but not beyond the realm of reality for Fish is nothing if not a realist. Yet, the logic and knowledge that Fish lives by never douses his enthusiasm and wonderment for the world around him. The plot is well written and devised to pull the young reader further into the tale as the story progresses. Along with the storyline are boxes of interesting facts and tidbits of information about varied aspect of the story. These clips of information give young readers real facts that add to the experience of the tale and create a world that will leave a smile on any face. The illustrations and sketches add the perfect complement to Farber’s tale. Each is charming and a glimpse that fits easily with the images created by the reader’s mind. One thing is sure, seagulls may not eat pickles, but young to middle school grade readers will gobble this book up and beg for more.

[kwrolsen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I would describe Fish Finelli to be a fun story that would be an engaging read for an elementary-aged child. The story was action-packed, appropriately paced, and humorous. The characters were engaging which will allow children to connect to their antics. I enjoyed the educational facts that were embedded throughout. Finally, the sketches in the ARC seem promising. I am confident that the hook at the end of this book will have children seeking out the next book in the series. This would make a great addition to a classroom or child’s personal library.