This post is a free preview from the Loop Families Book Club Membership.

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Let’s be honest... the last weeks of December are about easy wins.

Holiday downtime, lighter cruising schedules, and evenings when everyone’s tired and happy and wants to curl up with something familiar.

This week is intentionally low-pressure: movies, gentle learning, and activities that don’t feel like school (because honestly… it’s December).

📌 Movie and resource links are on our public Florida & Keys Book List here → December Family Resources

🎥 Family Movie Picks

Hoot

If your crew read the book earlier this month, this makes a great wrap-up movie. Familiar, funny, and very Florida.

Dolphin Tale

A Looping-family favorite for a reason. Set in Clearwater and full of heart.

Flipper

A classic that still holds up: simple, wholesome, and ocean-forward.

The Old Man and the Sea (animated version)

Short, thoughtful, and surprisingly accessible for older kids. Find it on YouTube.

📚 Easy Curriculum & Unit Studies

Perfect for windy days, rain, or when you’re docked longer than planned.

• Smithsonian Learning Labs

• Reef Relief Lesson Library

• Everglades Ecosystem Overview

• Florida Keys Lighthouse history resources (great for quick rabbit holes)

No worksheets required, even a short conversation counts!

✏️ Nature Journaling Prompts (Pick One)

• Sketch a mangrove and label what you notice

• Draw the most unusual bird you saw this week

• Write a “dock diary” entry about one creature you met at the marina

Five minutes is enough.

💛 A Gentle Reminder

Learning on the Loop doesn’t have to look like traditional school. Watching a movie set where you’re cruising, talking about wildlife you just saw, or sketching something from the dock absolutely counts.

This post is a free preview from the Loop Families Book Club Membership.

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Teen readers on boats are some of my favorite humans. They notice the details adults rush past, ask big questions, and quietly absorb a lot more than we realize. December in Florida and the Keys is a fantastic time for older kids to connect stories to real places: coral reefs, the Everglades, historic towns, and life shaped by water.

This week’s picks lean toward engaging, readable, and meaningful, without feeling like heavy “school books.”

📌 All book links live on our public Florida & Keys Book List here → December Books Page (Amazon doesn’t allow affiliate links behind paywalls. Everything below is discussion, ideas, and context.)

📖 Fiction Picks

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

A short, approachable classic that takes on new meaning when you’re actually near Key West. The story’s quiet pacing and simple language open the door to big conversations about perseverance, solitude, aging, pride, and what it means to respect the sea rather than conquer it.

Flush – Carl Hiaasen

Set in Florida and written with teens in mind, this fast-moving story blends humor, mystery, and environmental awareness without ever feeling preachy. It’s especially good for reluctant readers and invites discussion about protecting waterways, standing up for what’s right, and the power of kids’ voices.

Tangerine – Edward Bloor

A Florida-based coming-of-age story that explores identity, truth, and what it means to really see the world around you. Themes of belonging, family expectations, and overlooked perspectives often resonate strongly with teens living unconventional or nomadic lives.

Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston

Set in early 20th-century Florida, this novel follows Janie Crawford as she searches for independence, love, and her own voice while moving through small towns and the Everglades. Place is central to the story, with themes of marriage, power, racism, identity, and resilience, along with dialect-based language and intense moments tied to a major hurricane. Best suited for mature teens and adults.

📘 Nonfiction Picks

Last Train to Paradise – Les Standiford

The true story of Henry Flagler’s over-the-sea railroad to Key West, this book brings history to life for teens. Themes include innovation, determination, human impact on the environment, and the lengths people will go to connect communities over water.

The Everglades: River of Grass – Marjory Stoneman Douglas

A classic, foundational work on Florida conservation that remains relevant today. Douglas’s writing explores themes of environmental stewardship, the importance of wetlands, human responsibility, and the complex interplay between nature and society.

Shadow Divers – Robert Kurson

Best for mature teens, this gripping true story follows deep-sea divers uncovering a long-lost WWII submarine. It blends history, science, and extreme exploration, opening conversations about risk, teamwork, obsession, and the lure of the unknown beneath the water.

✍️ Writing Prompt

Describe a moment on the water — or near it — that made you stop and really notice.

What did you see, hear, or feel that you might have missed if you were traveling by car?

Short paragraphs totally count!

🔬 STEM Tie-In (Light & Real-World)

Coral reefs are one of the most visible ecosystems in the Keys, and also one of the most vulnerable.

Explore:

• Coral reef ecosystems

• Bleaching and recovery

• Human impact vs. conservation

👉 Link to Coral Restoration Foundation

👉 Link to Reef Relief education resources 

🏛️ Field Trip (If You’re Nearby)

Florida Keys History & Discovery Center (Key Largo)

An excellent stop for tweens and teens: history, ecology, and engineering all in one place.

💬 Conversation Starter:

How is growing up on or near the water different from growing up inland?

What skills do you think you’re learning right now that other kids might not?

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What other great books do you think belong on this list? Comment below or share what you learned as you read and cruised around Florida!

This post is a free preview from the Loop Families Book Club Membership.

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Kid Favorites for Florida & the Keys

All December book links for Amazon are on our public December Books Page. Amazon doesn’t allow affiliate links behind paywalls, so this page stays open. Everything below is for members only.

If you’re cruising the Loop with little ones this month, you’re in for a treat! December brings warm weather, lots of wildlife sightings, and endless opportunities to turn the Florida coastline into a floating nature classroom.

Here are some of my favorite books for kids ages 3–12 that pair beautifully with life along the ICW and in the Keys.

Please share your book, movie, and activity ideas in the comments!

Picture Books

Find links for these books on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Marjory Saves the Everglades
  • An excellent picture book about how Marjory Stoneman Douglas helped turn part of the Everglades into a National Park to protect the plants and animals.
• Manatee Winter
  • A gentle intro to conservation featuring one of Florida’s most beloved animals.
• Good Night, Florida Keys
  • A sweet geography-based bedtime book.

Chapter Books & Middle Grade

Find links for these books on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Sharks Incorporated (4 book series)
  • Join three kids as they help Doc Ford (from Randy Wayne White's adult series) protect animals! Luke recently relocated to Sanibel Island from the Midwest, while sisters Maribel and Sabina arrived from Cuba only recently. Join them in the first book as they try to save sharks from poachers!
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 8 to 12 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• Turtle in Paradise
  • Set in Key West, this story is light, funny, and full of Keys charm.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 9 to 11 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• Junonia
  • A slower, thoughtful read set on Sanibel Island.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 8 to 11 or
    • grades 3rd through 7th
• The Sea Turtle Scientist
  • Nonfiction STEM that connects perfectly with Florida wildlife centers.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 10 to 12 or
    • grades 5th through 7th
• The Boy and the Dolphin
  • A short, beautiful story that always sparks boat-kid conversations.
  • Recommended Readers:
    • ages 12 to 18

Activity Ideas: Sea Turtle Sketch + Visit a Rescue Center

If you’re anywhere near Marathon or Juno Beach, you can visit a turtle hospital.

Have kids sketch their favorite turtle and make up a short story about its “Loop Journey.”

Movie Tie-Ins:

Find links for these movies on the Florida & Keys Resource Page.

• Finding Nemo (reef science!) - Rated G

• The Rescuers Down Under (animal rescue, fun adventure) - Rated G

This post is a free preview from the Loop Families Book Club Membership.

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December Book Pick: "Hoot"

All December book links for Amazon are on our public December Books Page. Amazon doesn’t allow affiliate links behind paywalls, so this page stays open. Everything below is for members only.

December on the Loop always feels like slipping into warm water... literally and figuratively. After weeks of chilly mornings and long ICW travel days, the palm trees suddenly appear, the water shifts to turquoise, and everything starts to feel a little more playful again. So for our December book pick (this can be a great family read-aloud!), we’re leaning into a fun, quirky Florida adventure.

This month’s family pick is “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen... It's funny, fast-paced, and perfect for a cockpit read when you’re tucked into a marina or swinging on the hook somewhere near the Keys. If your child would like to read this book on their own, it's great for ages 9 to 12!

The story follows a kid named Roy who discovers a mystery involving burrowing owls on a construction site. It’s filled with Florida wildlife, humor that hits for kids and parents, and themes of courage and doing the right thing. Best of all, it feels like the kind of mischief kids on boats actually get swept up in: exploring new places, noticing little things adults miss, and caring about the creatures they meet along the way.

I've found that Teacher Created Resources can be really helpful with curriculum and teaching ideas. You can find lesson plans for this book for more great ideas!

👉 Find this book, related curriculum, and other books based in Florida on our resource page!

Why This Book Works for Cruising Kids

• It’s light and adventurous, not scary.

• Kids recognize the landscapes: scrub brush, palmetto, sandy lots, oddball animals.

• It opens the door to gentle, fun conversations about wildlife stewardship.

• It’s short enough to comfortably finish in a week or two, even on travel days.

Optional Activities On Board

• Wildlife Watchlist
  • Have your kids sketch or tally manatees, pelicans, iguanas, dolphins, and ospreys.
• Eco Detective Mission
  • Choose a small area near your marina or anchorage and look for signs of wildlife.
• Create a “Family Wildlife Code”
  • Your own rules for interacting respectfully with marine animals.

Movie of the Week

Pair it with “Dolphin Tale” (rated PG).

Set in Clearwater, sweet and uplifting. Perfect after a long boating day.

👉 Find it here.

If you read through "Hoot," you may also enjoy the movie based on the book! 

Discussion Starters:

• What animals have you seen on the Loop this week?

• If something threatened those animals, what would you do?

• How does Roy show courage in small, everyday ways?