Family Book Club: Florida, Keys, & Adjacent Waters
Winter on the Loop often means warm water, swaying palms, and a slower cruising pace... whether youβre exploring Floridaβs coasts, the Keys, the Okeechobee Waterway, or simply dreaming about nearby islands. This is an excellent time to lean into wildlife, marine ecosystems, Florida history, and island stories through books, movies, and hands-on learning.Β
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Picture Books
Perfect for read-alouds and younger readers.
π Marjory Saves the Everglades
πΒ Manatee Winter
πΒ Good Night Florida Keys
π Over and Under the Waves
πΒ Over and Under the Coral Reef
π Fred the Tree
π A Whale of a Tale!
π Johnny Longlegs: A tale of Big Birds
π The Magic School Bus: On the Ocean Floor
π The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle
Chapter Books & Middle Grade
Great for independent readers or family read-alouds.
π Hoot
- Curriculum Help: A Guide for Using Hoot in the Classroom
- "Hoot" author CarlΒ Hiaasen has lots of great books for tweens, teens, and adults setΒ in this region!
π Sharks Incorporated
- This is a 4 book series!
- If you enjoy these, you may also want to check out other Randy Wayne White books.
π Turtle in Paradise
π Junonia
π The Sea Turtle Scientist
π The Boy and the Dolphin
π Frog's Boating Adventures: Frog Finds Friends on the Great Loop
- Written by two Gold Loopers!
π
π Magic Treehouse: Pirates Past Noon
- Combine with the Pirates Fact Tracker
π Treasure off the Coast: A Junior Rangers Investigative Club Novel in Dry Tortugas National Park
π Treasure of Biscayne Bay: A Junior Rangers Investigative Club Novel
π Key's Secret
- This is the fifth book in the series. Check out the other ones!
Teen Reads
Teen Fiction:
Best for older kids and mature teens.
π Flashback (An Anna Pigeon Novel)
πΒ Charlotteβs Story: A Florida Keys Diary 1934 & 1935
π The Old Man and the Sea
πΒ Flush
πΒ Tangerine
πΒ Their Eyes Were Watching God
Β
Teen Nonfiction:
History, ecology, and real-world adventure.
πΒ X Marks the Spot: The Archaeology of Piracy
πΒ Americaβs Fortress: A History of Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida
πΒ The Blue Fold
πΒ Last Train to Paradise
πΒ The Everglades: River of Grass
πΒ Shadow Divers
Family Movies
πΏ Because of Winn Dixie
- 1 hour, 46 minutes
- Rated PG
- Live Action
- Also a book!
πΏ The Swiss Family Robinson
- 51 minutes
- Rated for All
- Live Action and Black & White
- Newer and animated versions also available
πΏΒ Hoot
- 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Rated PG
- Live Action
πΏΒ Dolphin Tale
- 1 hour, 47 minutes
- Rated G
- Live Action
πΏΒ Flipper
- 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Rated PG
- Live Action
π» The Old Man and the Sea
- 20 minutes
- Available on YouTube
- Animated
πΏΒ Finding Nemo
- 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Rated G
- Animated
πΏΒ The Rescuers Down Under
- 1 hour, 13 minutes
- Rated G
- Animated