The Marino Mission: One Girl, One Mission, One Thousand Words; 1,000 Need-To-Know SAT Vocabulary Words

by Karen B. Chapman

One unforgettable story. One thousand unforgettable SAT vocabulary words.

Alexa McCurry leads an ordinary teenager's life in upstate New York--until she embarks on a summer adventure in Central America. While working at a potentially boring internship in a marine DNA lab, she befriends a local boy, Jos , and a remarkable dolphin, Pecas. Together, Alexa and Jos uncover an ominous secret: Pecas' missing baby may be a captive at a marine biology facility...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764578316
• ISBN13: 9780764578311
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 14 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 9 to 12

Customer Reviews

Not bad.

I could see myself on the beach reading this book - it's as good of a plotline you can get for an SAT book, and has a plethora of SAT words embedded in it, which only minimally detracts from the storyline. The definitions on the bottom of the page are great, and it's cool to see the words that you are using in context in the story. The ending is pretty cheesy, though, but that's okay.

Recommended SAT preparation

We purchased this book on the strong recommendation of a relative, and can likewise recommend it to others, without a bone of contention... I skim-read the story, and while the artifice used to introduce the vocabulary is a bit much for an adult, it should work well for the target audience. As the heroine is, well, - a heroine, the book might initially appeal more to young women, rather than to boys. But, any young person would probably enjoy the plot and the storyline once immersed in the book. At the risk of dating myself, I'd equate the book to Nancy Drew meets Tom Swift, updated for the 21st century... All in all, an effective and elegant solution for providing young people with a rich vocabulary while preparing them for one of the most significant examinations they must undertake. Significantly, one-third of the book is devoted to exercises which reinforce the meaning and proper use of the myriad words introduced in the story. As repetition is the root of understanding, students would be wise to make use of this added bonus. Teachers and educators should likewise give this book strong consideration for inclusion in their curriculum and SAT-prep courses. With the advent of a re-tooled SAT containing a much-dreaded essay component, Ms. Chapman should put her considerable creativity to work on a new book which addresses this coming challenge. I have no doubt that any such attempt would be as engaging and successful as "The Marino Mission." ...On a personal note, at last I can use the word "perspicacity" correctly...

My sister gave me this

This book is very, very good. My sister is totally into poetry and I'm not but she read this book the Marino Mission, and totally dug it, and Im never reading her stuff, but this was great! A teen romance, but with better writing than what's normal, and definitely NOT BORING. Although it's about a very cute guy hooking up with the heroine in the book. it's really a quite good because its got great adventure and a * thrilling * story. I'm in 9th grade but my sister is in 11th and gets "A"s where I do not, but I learned so much from this book, many new words, because of the notes at the bottom. But mainly I loved the story, I Loved it!

Read it for the story!

The story is fun, whether or not you learn "1000 words" for the SAT. The main character--a girl--is smart and gets to do things in this story; she travels to South America with her scientist mom and has a job in a lab for the summer. She falls in with a boy she meets on the beach. She and her boyfriend take life by the horns to correct what the adults are doing. It's a mystery, a love story, and a nifty plot combining teenagers and dolphins. You'll learn about genes, dolphins, and vocabulary, yes, but mostly you'll have a good time reading.

Excellent SAT Resource for Teens

I ordered the "Marino Mission" for my grandchildren. They were both delighted with the story line and found it very helpful to have the word definitions printed at the bottom of each page. I will certainly recommend this educational and exceptional book to all my friends.