WHO'S WHO?
Who is the 12-year-old main character who loves solving puzzles and codes?
A: Alexis “Alex”
On what Hawaiian island does Alex live?
Oahu
What does Alex's mother leave behind for Alex to solve while she is away?
Codes, ciphers, puzzles, and clues
What is Alex deeply afraid of?
The ocean and the creatures in it
Why won't Alex swim or surf with her friends?
Because a frightening experience in the ocean left her afraid of the water
Who is the older man Alex visits while following her mother's challenge?
Uncle Tanaka
What town on Oahu is Alex's home?
Laie
What is the name of Uncle Tanaka's enormous dog?
Sarge
What kind of work does Alex's mother do?
She works in intelligence/counterintelligence connected with the Navy.
Why are Alex's mother's puzzles especially meaningful to Alex?
They are a special game and connection between Alex and her mother while her mother is away.
What is Uncle Tanaka's former profession?
Marine biologist
Where is Alex's mother working while Alex is solving her challenge?
On/deployed with a Navy submarine
What unusual animal has a special connection with Uncle Tanaka?
A deformed/rescued sea turtle
What frightening sea creature startled Alex during the experience that led to her fear of the ocean?
A viper moray eel
Why does Alex help Uncle Tanaka with his specimen vials?
His Parkinson's makes it difficult for him to put in the stoppers, so Alex provides steady hands.
Who are the Tanakas in relation to Alex's mother?
Her hānai family/informal adoptive family
What environment does Alex have to enter again when Uncle Tanaka's emergency leaves him needing help?
The ocean
Which historical codebreaker does Alex research for her school history project?
Mavis Batey
What happens that makes Alex fear something may have happened to her mother while she is deployed?
A typhoon develops and her mother misses/fails to connect for their expected weekly call.
How does Uncle Tanaka's medical emergency change Alex's struggle with the ocean?
Her fear is no longer only something to avoid; she must confront it because someone she cares about needs her help.
Besides Alex's biological relatives, what Hawaiian concept describes people who become family through love and close bonds?
Hānai / hānai family
Where is Uncle Tanaka when his medical emergency forces Alex to confront her fear?
Stranded in his small boat/on the water
What two skills Alex practices throughout her mother's challenges become crucial when the situation turns dangerous?
Problem-solving and deciphering/working through clues
By the end of the story, what major personal obstacle has Alex confronted while trying to protect the people she loves?
Her fear of the ocean
How does the title Strong Like the Sea connect to Alex's development?
Alex learns that strength does not mean having no fear; she becomes strong by facing her fear and acting when the people she loves need her.