Fish Finelli (Book 2): Operation Fireball

By E. S. Farber and Jason Beene

When Bryce Billings says he will clobber Fish Finelli in the Captain Kidd Classic boat race, Fish has no choice but to accept the bet. But Fish's 1970s Whaler with a broken motor is no match for Bryce's new, top-of-the-line, 9.9-horsepower Viper—even if Fish, Roger, and T. J. can fix their measly 5-horsepower motor, it can't compete with Bryce's boat. With $9.63 between them, do the guys even have a chance at the Classic? A hilarious romp, filled with fun facts seamlessly integrated into the story, Fish Finelli informs as much as it entertains for perfect middle-grade reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Apr 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452130095

Book preview

ONCE AGAIN FOR NIKO – E.S.F.

Special thanks to Kelli C. for terrific editing; to Jared, the best marine mechanic ever; to Chelsea, Steve T., MW, and everyone at the East Hampton Library.

FOR MOM-MAY THE WIND ALWAYS FILL YOUR SAILS. FOR STEPHANIE-YOU ARE MY ANCHOR AND MY LIGHTHOUSE. – J.B.

Text copyright © 2014 by E. S. Farber.

Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Jason Beene.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in

any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-1083-7 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4521-3009-5 (epub, mobi)

Design by Lauren Michelle Smith.

Typeset in Century Schoolbook.

The illustrations in this book were rendered digitally.

The name Seagull is a registered trademark of John Freeman (Sales) Ltd.

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107

Chronicle Books — we see things differently. Become part of

our community at www.chroniclekids.com.

10,000 WAYS THAT WON’T WORK

On the count of three, I said. One . . . two . . .

Two and a half, said Roger, grinning so his brown eyes crinkled at the corners.

Two and three-quarters, said T. J.

Three! We picked up the Seagull motor and slid it into the drum of water.

SWOOSH!

Water spilled all over us and all over the driveway.

Guys, that is way too much water, I said.

"It wasn’t too much water before the motor went in," said T. J.

I know, I said. It’s the Archimedes Principle. The volume of the motor will displace an amount of water equal to the—

Sheesh, Fish, said Roger. We’ve done the bucket test six times already this afternoon. We could have been shooting hoops with Two O or paddleboarding, but no, we’re in your driveway—

One more time. It’s going to work. I just know it, I said, crossing my fingers behind my back so Roger couldn’t see.

After we emptied out some water, we lowered the Seagull motor into the drum until the propeller was submerged.

The Seagull is an awesome motorboat engine. Roger, T. J., and I bought it with the money we got for finding Captain Kidd’s treasure. That’s right—we found Captain Kidd’s treasure. It’s a long story, but no, it wasn’t gold and jewels. It was a bunch of old papers, a busted-up silver teapot, and some long underwear. Weird, right? Who would have thought pirates wore long underwear?

I pulled a basin wrench out of my tool belt and bolted the motor to the side of the drum.

How are you boys doing? called Uncle Norman, sticking his head out the window. He was fixing the kitchen sink and keeping an eye on us while my mom and dad went grocery shopping.

Good! I called back.

Good and wet! Roger grinned.

Wet’s okay, said Uncle Norman. Just be careful.

All set. I handed Roger the manual as Uncle Norman disappeared back inside. Uncle Norman is the best uncle ever. He taught me most of what I know about motors, because he has a boat. He also gave me my nickname, Fish. My real name is Norman, after him. One day I was on his boat when a bluefish took a chomp out of his finger. I laughed and said, Fish. It was my first word, and it’s been my name ever since.

Roger cleared his throat. And now, ladies and gentlemen, or should I say, gentleman and gentleman, for the—

Will you just read the instructions? I said.

Chillax, Fish. Ah, where was I? Roger stared blankly at the instructions.

Fuel tap? said T. J. helpfully.

Open, I said, pulling the fuel tap.

Choke? said T. J., chewing on a mouthful of candy corn.

Closed, I said.

Press the tickler on the carburetor, T. J. said.

I opened the carb until a little fuel spilled out.

Open the throttle to full, added T. J. Oh, and make sure the motor is in neutral.

Wow! Roger looked up from the manual. How did you know that, T. J.?

T. J. shrugged. Simple. It’s like making the Super Sundae Special at Toot Sweets. First goes the hot fudge, then the gummy worms, then the ice cream. Next is the strawberry syrup and marshmallows. Then whipped cream, Sno-Caps, and sprinkles go on top.

I shook my head. T. J. is like a piñata. You never know what’s going to come out of his mouth, the same way you never know what’s going to come out of a piñata.

I wrapped the pull cord clockwise three times around the rope pull. Ready, guys? I said, steadying the tank with my left hand.

Wait! Roger ran into the garage.

RAT-TAT-TAT! RAT-TAT-TAT!

What Operation Fireball needs is a drumroll. Roger banged a hammer against an old cookie tin with a reindeer on it.

The Fireball is the name of our boat. It’s a whaler from the 1970s that the three of us have been fixing up. We’re going to enter it in the Captain Kidd Classic, the biggest boat race of the summer. We’re also planning to beat snooty Bryce Billings in the race, so Operation Fireball is our secret code name.

Roger and T. J.’s eyes were on me as I turned the flywheel clockwise. I had done every little thing the manual said. This time I was positive I did it right. I took a deep breath and gave a sharp pull on the rope.

Nothing.

I pulled a little harder.

Nothing.

I wrapped the cord again. Then I pulled on the rope.

Still nothing.

Tartar sauce! I kicked a rock in frustration. It ricocheted off the oil drum and hit me. Ow! I rubbed my knee.

Another failure, said Roger, beating a slow RAT-TAT-TAT.

Roger was right. I had failed—again. All of a sudden, I remembered something Thomas Edison said before he invented the phonograph (the very first machine that could record sound and play it back).

I have not failed, I said. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.

THOMAS EDISON (1847–1931)

In 1877, inventor Thomas Edison was working on the telegraph when he noticed that the noise the paper tape made when played at high speed through the machine sounded like spoken words. Edison took a tinfoil cylinder and a needle and made the first phonograph that could record sound. The outside horn phonograph was produced from approximately 1898–1931. And you know the first words he ever recorded? Mary had a little lamb!

Roger and T. J. both looked at me. You’ve got to be kidding me, Fish! Roger said. You are not really thinking we are going to do the bucket test nine thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-three more times.

He and T. J. groaned.

Don’t worry, I said. I have a plan. I didn’t quite yet, but I was sure I would think of something any minute.

Suddenly, there was a piercing scream. AAAAHHHHH!!!

CHAMPION TEETER-TOTTER OF BLAH-BU-DE-BLAH

Roger, T. J., and I raced to my backyard. My little sister, Feenie, and Mmm, T. J.’s little sister, were staring at the bushes between my house and Roger’s house. They both wore sparkly fairy wings, as usual. There was a baby carriage turned over on the grass, along with a baby blanket and a bottle.

What’s up, ladies? asked Roger.

It’s Tatiana! said Mmm.

She jumped out of the carriage. We were saving her from—oops! Feenie clapped her hand over her mouth.

Saving her from what, Fee? I asked. Feenie had the same guilty look on her face she got whenever she pretended some teeny piece of brownie was so my equal half.

Nothing, said Feenie, shaking her head so her pigtails bobbed up and down.

Tatiana ran away, said Mmm.

What?! T. J. said, his face so white that all of his freckles stood out.

Roger and I looked at each other in surprise. T. J. never got upset, not even the time he got the mini G. I. Joe rifle stuck up his nose and had to go to the emergency room to have it taken out.

Margaret Mary Mahoney, he said, using Mmm’s real, full name, which no one ever called her. What did you do with Champion Tatiana of Britney Belle?

Mmm just glared at T. J., her blue eyes narrowed into angry slits.

Oh, boy. Mom is going to be so mad. He popped an entire handful of candy corn in his mouth and started crunching like crazy.

Mmm started crying. Don’t worry, Mmm. Feenie put an arm around her. We will find her. We’re Fapits. We have magic powers.

In case you’re wondering, a Fapit is a Fairy Princess in Training.

Who, may I ask, is Champion Teeter-Totter of Blah-Bu-De-Blah? said Roger.

The most valuable kitten in Britney Belle’s litter, said T. J. "You know how my mom breeds cats and shows them in cat shows? Well, Tatiana won the Cat Fancy Show twice, which makes her

Reviews for Fish Finelli (Book 2)

[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!"

[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!

[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.