Maya and the Beast

Semi-aoutobiographical story of a girl who learns to surf in spite of some limitations (asthma, "just a girl") and goes on to become a record-breaking big wave surfer. Inspiring!......more

This inspirational story reads almost like a fairy tale. There is a humble fishing village named Nazaré, and in winter the ocean there makes huge, scary waves – “taller than a seven-story building.” The villagers call them ‘The Beast.’ A little girl named Maya lives in the village, and she has asthm......more

Maya grows up close to the beach, hearing "the Beast", the big winter waves that are 7 stories tall as it crashes against the sand. She struggles with asthma yet she feels a pull to the sea. She practices and practices, and falls and gets up again and shows a lot of determination. She is told as a g......more

The text is long, which is usually the case for biographical picture books, making it better for those with longer attention spans. That being said, I think this is one of the better written celebrity books. Gabeira's words are inspirational and she has crafted a beautiful "fairytale version" of her......more

Maya Gabiera was shy and had asthma, but she loved to watch the waves. She learned to surf practiced for years to eventually become a professional surfer. Maya has surfed Guinness World Record-breaking big waves and shares her story.......more