Seatales Has Your Next Favorite Book
The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab
Mom’s Choice Award recipient
“It’s so engrossing and engaging, the fact it’s also educational is just an added bonus . . . Petrie’s illustrations are delightful. A fun marine adventure fit for everyone.” – Kirkus Reviews
Did You Make the Hole in the Shell in the Sea?
Mom’s Choice Award recipient
Silver Falchion Award
Best Children’s Mystery Picture Book
“An entertaining whodunit of the sea in lilting, rhyming text . . . good for both everyday read-alouds and classroom instructional use.” – Kirkus Reviews
Something’s Tugging on My Claw!
Mom’s Choice Award recipient
“Both educational and sensational, this book should delight readers young and old . . . A captivating work with lively prose.” – Kirkus Reviews
“A colorful, authentic, and accurately illustrated story about a young blue lobster’s adventure that’s appealing to ages 3-10.” – Midwest Book Review
The Lucky Hermit Crab
and Her Swirly New Shell
Recipient of a Kirkus starred review!
Mom’s Choice Award Gold Recipient
“Detailed and colorful, Petrie’s illustrations cleverly bring this story to life . . . With her rhyming prose and obvious love of sea life, Petrie has created a playful and exciting underwater world that children will be eager to revisit.” – Booklife
Perfection To A Fault: A Small Murder in Ossipee, New Hampshire, 1916
Voted “Best of New Hampshire”
by New Hampshire Magazine
Lead segment on WCVB-TV’s Chronicle
“Petrie expertly puts details into historical context . . . this thorough account will appeal to fans of true crime.” – Publishers Weekly
“Petrie vividly re-creates the circumstances and aftermath of an early 20th-century murder . . . Exhaustive detail and flawless re-creations make for real suspense in this nonfiction tale.” – Kirkus Reviews
Bay State Skye
“Petrie’s novel includes fascinating details about both the fishing industry and market; readers will find themselves caught up in the stormy excitement and tantalizing touch of mystery.” – Publishers Weekly
“Candid protagonists take this story in many directions . . . Their development spins doubt and suspense and triggers double-takes.” – Booklife
Publishers Weekly Spotlights
Perfection To A Fault & Bay State Skye in Its Popular Magazine
As we have just passed the 100th anniversary of that fateful day when Frederick Small boarded a train bound for Boston, only to learn ten hours later that his lakeside cottage in Ossipee, New Hampshire had burned to the ground, and his wife, Florence, was feared dead inside, we are honored that Publishers Weekly has printed a review of Perfection To A Fault in their prestigious magazine. The sleepy village of 1916 Ossipee, New Hampshire had no forewarning they would be thrust into the limelight with a tragic fire, murder, and sensational trial of the century unfolding before them. Although Florence’s life ended in such a horrific way a little over one hundred years ago, many believe she still resides in the old cottage today.
To read the Publisher’s Weekly review of Perfection To A Fault, click on the link below.
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Reviews |
We are equally honored to have our latest historical fiction, Bay State Skye, receive what IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) called “a stellar review” from Publishers Weekly. Click on the link below or the book cover to the left to read the review, and then check out our Bay State Skye page to enjoy some photos and videos from many of the events featured in the book.
Click here to read the complete Publishers Weekly review of Bay State Skye.
Did You Make the Hole in the Shell in the Sea? is Silver Falchion Award Winner for Best Children’s Picture Book.
Mystery writer and founder Clay Stafford presented Janice S. C. Petrie with the 2014 Silver Falchion Award for Best Children’s Picture Book at the “Killer Nashville” Mystery Writer’s conference in August. “This category is for children learning to love books. Judged on a combination of originality and telling of the story, and the accompanying illustrations, the goal of this category is to identify exciting books to inspire young readers . . . There is rarely a murder here or a very scary monster, but there is always a mystery to solve.” This award is sponsored by Barnes & Noble and Mystery Writers of America, among others.
The Lucky Hermit Crab and Her Swirly New Shell Receives a Starred Kirkus Review
“One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit,” according to Kirkus Reviews’ website. Only 3% of all independent books are given starred reviews. Our little hermit crab really is lucky! (October 7, 2022 review)
Our “Seatales Sea Animal Series” Children’s Books Are Mom’s Choice Award Recipients
Something’s Tugging on My Claw!, Did You Make the Hole in the Shell in the Sea? and The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab have all been chosen to receive the Mom’s Choice Award for Children’s Picture Books. It feels great to have our children’s book series acknowledged in this way.
(June, 2019)
We are excited to add The Lucky Hermit Crab and Her Swirly New Shell to our Mom’s Choice Awards recipients – A shiny gold seal of approval! We couldn’t be prouder! (June,2023)
Three Great Distributors To Choose
Whether you’re a library, school system, or educator, we have three great distributors ready to take your order for our books. Please feel free to contact Brodart Books and Library Services for all orders within the continental United States, Follett School Solutions for both domestic and international orders for school systems and educators, and Ingram Book Company (1-800-937-8200) for bookstores, libraries, and educators all over the world. All of our books are available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats. Now getting a Seatales book is easier than ever!
Our Mission
Our goal is to produce quality books that entertain, delight, inform, and inspire. We strive to introduce readers to great stories for all ages. Whether we’re bringing to life a bubbly character from under the sea, telling the true story of a haunting tale from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, or revealing an authentic look into the Cape Ann fishing industry in 1990, we are committed to providing accurate information wrapped up in a captivating story. We are especially dedicated to introducing children and adults to marine life that can be commonly found on the Atlantic coast.
We know how hard teachers work, and are dedicated to making our children’s books user friendly in the classroom. The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab, Did You Make the Hole in the Shell in the Sea, and Something’s Tugging on My Claw! all have curriculum available, developed by teachers, to help educators introduce topics with innovation and creativity.
Our author events are created to introduce students, as well as adults, to many of the captivating sea animals they may encounter on a summer day at the coast. We strive to engage people of all ages in learning about and developing a greater understanding of the characteristics of each animal included in our stories and its habitat. Through our author visits, the characters of The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab, Did You Make the Hole in the Shell in the Sea?, Something’s Tugging on My Claw!, and The Lucky Hermit Crab and Her Swirly New Shell really do come to life!