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Danny Dunn #5
Danny Dunn on the Ocean Floor
Danny and his friends study life under the ocean
156 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Jay Williams
158 books41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 31, 2014
Next up, it's an adventure based around oceanography and marine biology as a lab accident (precipitated by Danny) creates a new super-plastic able to withstand enormous pressure, which is just what is needed to make a new kind of bathyscaphe, and our intrepid characters head down to Mexico and a trip to.... the ocean floor!
After the slightly underwhelming WEATHER MACHINE, this is a real return to form - not only are the characters settling into their grooves (The doleful poet Joe, perhaps building on small details in DESERT ISLAND, really begins his character-defining food/hunger fixations here - very Jughead; there are nice little nods to the Bullfinch/Grimes friendship as we find they were in high school together, as well as the relationship between the kids and the Professor - Bullfinch obviously sees Irene as the most trustworthy, responsible and mature of the group, and says as much) but standard devices are now becoming obvious - The professor seems to have boundless patience and Dr. Grimes often thinks Danny has gone insane when the boy gets excited.
Of course, there's adventure: Danny punches a shark with the sub's mechanical claw! Aztec treasure is found! An underwater avalanche traps the sinking sub. Danny saves the day with his fish sound recordings and Irene kisses him in thanks! Also interesting, there is a slightly more serious tone to the proceedings, not just in the threat of the sinking sub but also in the characterization of the adults - the sub pilot, Beaversmith, is a war veteran, Bullfinch & Grimes have some stoical "scientist" moments when faced with everyone's possible death (“A scientist should fear nothing. Even death is only an experience to be studied. Let us do our work, and if by some chance we cannot escape, we can be certain that someday others will follow us, find us, and learn from our investigations”) and the scene in which the damaged Sea Urchin settles on the lonely ocean floor two miles down, trapped under tons of pressure, is powerful and disquieting. There's even a nicely quiet scene of reconciliation between Danny and The Professor about Danny's impetuous nature and whether he should feel personally guilty for them being trapped on the ocean floor (technically, he shouldn't).
We also get some whimsical touches. Joe's love of food appears as he swaps international delicacies with local Mexican kid Ramon in a charmingly soft "clash of cultures" scene (Joe even composes a poem about trying unfamiliar foods for the wrap-up). Later, everyone tries eating fresh plankton, straight from the ocean, on crackers ("tastes like shrimp salad" says Bullfinch) and the Professor has a frame for his bull-fiddle strings deliberately built into the submarine as a secret, leading to an underwater Bullfinch/Grimes fiddle/piccolo jam session! And there are those occasional well-written lines that can even make an adult smile. “I wonder, if they found mermaids, how they’d count them—as fish or people? Because, if they were fish, you could eat them, and if they were people, they’d have to vote.” muses Joe.
I must have read this one as a kid - the "eating plankton" and "taking core-samples of the ocean bed" sequences came back to me as I read them now, and the super-plastic encased football and the encounter with the giant (80 ft!) squid also felt familiar. Quite a lot of fun.
After the slightly underwhelming WEATHER MACHINE, this is a real return to form - not only are the characters settling into their grooves (The doleful poet Joe, perhaps building on small details in DESERT ISLAND, really begins his character-defining food/hunger fixations here - very Jughead; there are nice little nods to the Bullfinch/Grimes friendship as we find they were in high school together, as well as the relationship between the kids and the Professor - Bullfinch obviously sees Irene as the most trustworthy, responsible and mature of the group, and says as much) but standard devices are now becoming obvious - The professor seems to have boundless patience and Dr. Grimes often thinks Danny has gone insane when the boy gets excited.
Of course, there's adventure: Danny punches a shark with the sub's mechanical claw! Aztec treasure is found! An underwater avalanche traps the sinking sub. Danny saves the day with his fish sound recordings and Irene kisses him in thanks! Also interesting, there is a slightly more serious tone to the proceedings, not just in the threat of the sinking sub but also in the characterization of the adults - the sub pilot, Beaversmith, is a war veteran, Bullfinch & Grimes have some stoical "scientist" moments when faced with everyone's possible death (“A scientist should fear nothing. Even death is only an experience to be studied. Let us do our work, and if by some chance we cannot escape, we can be certain that someday others will follow us, find us, and learn from our investigations”) and the scene in which the damaged Sea Urchin settles on the lonely ocean floor two miles down, trapped under tons of pressure, is powerful and disquieting. There's even a nicely quiet scene of reconciliation between Danny and The Professor about Danny's impetuous nature and whether he should feel personally guilty for them being trapped on the ocean floor (technically, he shouldn't).
We also get some whimsical touches. Joe's love of food appears as he swaps international delicacies with local Mexican kid Ramon in a charmingly soft "clash of cultures" scene (Joe even composes a poem about trying unfamiliar foods for the wrap-up). Later, everyone tries eating fresh plankton, straight from the ocean, on crackers ("tastes like shrimp salad" says Bullfinch) and the Professor has a frame for his bull-fiddle strings deliberately built into the submarine as a secret, leading to an underwater Bullfinch/Grimes fiddle/piccolo jam session! And there are those occasional well-written lines that can even make an adult smile. “I wonder, if they found mermaids, how they’d count them—as fish or people? Because, if they were fish, you could eat them, and if they were people, they’d have to vote.” muses Joe.
I must have read this one as a kid - the "eating plankton" and "taking core-samples of the ocean bed" sequences came back to me as I read them now, and the super-plastic encased football and the encounter with the giant (80 ft!) squid also felt familiar. Quite a lot of fun.
June 22, 2009
Another great Danny Dunn book. I always suspected that Robert Zemeckis read these books when he was a kid, and then grew up to invent Marty McFly and Doc Brown in Back To The Future.
February 24, 2010
My favourite part of the book was when the protagonists found their submarine was sinking and everyone was running around like headless chickens.I liked this part because it shows that in adventure stories the heroes don't always know what to do.
I would highly recommend this book to kids of nine and above, because it is very funny and even though it is a fiction book it also gives some good facts as well.
I liked this book because it was very imaginative and well structured and laid out.
I would highly recommend this book to kids of nine and above, because it is very funny and even though it is a fiction book it also gives some good facts as well.
I liked this book because it was very imaginative and well structured and laid out.
November 28, 2023
Holds up well
Since I read several books in the Danny Dunn series over 50 years ago, I had forgotten how Danny and Joe were portrayed as bungling idiots. That was a bit disappointing. But the story line was decent and the characters well-developed and consistent. Most surprising was how well the science held up. It didn't seem terribly dated or far-fetched and still captured my imagination, just like when I was a kid in Brooklyn.
Since I read several books in the Danny Dunn series over 50 years ago, I had forgotten how Danny and Joe were portrayed as bungling idiots. That was a bit disappointing. But the story line was decent and the characters well-developed and consistent. Most surprising was how well the science held up. It didn't seem terribly dated or far-fetched and still captured my imagination, just like when I was a kid in Brooklyn.
March 8, 2013
Another Danny Dunn story I enjoyed as a boy. I particularly thrilled to the idea of exploring the ocean in a submarine, which my have partially influenced my thoughts several years later of becoming a marine biologist. That dream died when I realized that the work was a lot more about science than about deep sea diving and SCUBA diving. Sigh.
October 7, 2022
A good entry in the series. As an adult, having much of the plot being driven because Danny is foolish is a little annoying. As a kid, I never noticed this.
The story holds up to modern times.
It's nice to see a girl (Irene) in a boys book portrayed this positively.
So you can gives these to your kids, confident that Danny is shown to be a bad example and Irene is a role model.
The story holds up to modern times.
It's nice to see a girl (Irene) in a boys book portrayed this positively.
So you can gives these to your kids, confident that Danny is shown to be a bad example and Irene is a role model.
November 14, 2020
Great classic
My kids loved this book, just like all the other sin the series. Maybe a few extra giggles in this story too:-)
My kids loved this book, just like all the other sin the series. Maybe a few extra giggles in this story too:-)
April 30, 2021
Good kids book.
October 25, 2021
A fairly fun adventure that as the title indicates takes place in the ocean. I must admit I'm partial to a bit of action with my vintage science and this little tale delivers.
September 8, 2022
A solid Danny Dunn story.
November 15, 2024
This is a good adventure story for kids. It has both science and science-fiction, as well as Mexican culture. You can learn a lot about the fish deep under water.
December 17, 2024
Re-read; I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
April 17, 2012
My 8 year old son loves for me to read aloud the Danny Dunn stories. This book is no exception. We are starting our own Danny Dunn library before we can't find them anymore.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews