Kate Buffett and the Deep Blue SEa
Cast of Characters
You might enjoy getting to know the characters from the story by just reading all of the chapters. This guide might be useful in deciding if any of the characters would be someone you’d like to be friends with in real life. Are any of them somewhat like you? You might find you are actually a combination of a few of the characters. Each of these characters was inspired by a real-life young person. If you think you could be a Blue Life Super Hero CONTACT us and share your story. Who knows, you might find yourself featured on our Super Hero page.
Location of the story: The characters in Kate Buffett and the Deep Blue Sea all attend Pacific Heights Middle School. Pacific Heights is a small town located about 50 miles east of the coast. The area has “mountains” that were actually formed by individual volcanoes. The largest and closest to town is Monkey Mountain. Crescent Creek flows down Monkey Mountain and winds its way all the way to the river. The Salt Creek River flows through Pacific Heights and all the way out and into the Pacific Ocean. The Salt Creek River is fed by many smaller creeks and streams along the way. The kids go to Pacific Heights Middle School and most are members of the “Green Team” which they re-name the “Blue Team” once they realize that all “green” efforts really impact the ocean – the Deep Blue Sea.
Mr. Beck: Teacher and sponsor of the Blue Team. He teaches science and has the kids in one class or another.
Kate Buffett: 7th grader obsessed with the ocean and especially with whales. Blond-haired Kate plays soccer and runs track. She is very imaginative, often having vibrant dreams, that she usually remembers in the morning. She is a dreamer at heart and very caring – even to her younger brother, Julian. Kate has known Steve all of her life and just recently “might” have gotten a crush on him.
Julian: Kate’s 9 year old brother is in 4th grade. Julian is not as much a fan of the outdoors as his sister, Kate. Just the same, he is crazy about the ocean and loves every minute of their summer vacations at their grandparents cottage on the coast. Julian dabbles at making web sites and playing the newest video games – maybe almost too much as his school work could be better. While he’s got a large “keep out” sign on his door he actually loves it when Kate comes in to hang out and play a game with him.
Joe: Julian’s best friend, rides mountain bikes, camps and is the opposite of Julian in almost every way – except they both love computer games, math and science.
Claire (real life Leila): Kate’s best friend, even though Claire is in 6th grade. Claire loves photography and always has her phone ready for taking pictures and sharing on social media. She is quiet in real life but full of conversations on her social media. Helps the other kids. Claire creates buttons with messages meant to start conversations. She made, “#MyBlueLife My Choices Matter” and #Habit Cleanup – One Choice at a Time.” She makes sure to get the buttons out and in front of others by putting them at the register at stores and coffee shops.
Kristy (real life Julia): Kristy and her family are the most outdoor loving people you could imagine. Since Kristy was little and her dad, Frank, took her on all the family hike while she was strapped securely in a baby carrier, all of her weekends were filled with adventures. Kristy loves everything about nature – everything. That’s why she was so excited to get into middle school where she immediately joined the film club and the Blue Team. Kristy’s mom, Emily, is a very fit runner and loves to explore the outdoors with the family.
Liz: Last year Liz arrived at Pacific Heights Middle School as the “new kid” in 6th grade. She was very quiet and really wanted friends and a connection. Kristy befriended her and now in 7th grade they hang out all the time. Liz is very mindful of others and kind. Her mom encourages her to find something important to do for others. She suggested re-naming the Green team as the Blue Team.
Ryan: A 7th grader who’s easy going and fairly independent. His parents own Mama-Pops Pizza and work long hours there most every day. Ryan’s Dad is Stan and his mom is Sylvie. Ryan often spends time at their restaurant, bringing in friends and doing his homework there. He doesn’t help with cooking but he sometimes folds the pizza boxes.
Steven, but prefers to be called Steve: Tow headed Steve is very athletic, friendly, popular – captain of the soccer team. He’s a boy always seeking adventures, on the go! But he is also very worried about the plastic and mess that humans have created in the environment. He and his friend, Eddie, are on a lot of sports teams together. They go on adventures whenever possible.
Kolleen: 7th grader Kolleen struggles with reading and math in school but she gets by. Her favorite subject is art. Any assignment she can do replacing words with pictures, that is what she will do. She is always doodling and sketching. Her backpack, her locker and her room at home are cluttered and messy. Neatness is definitely not something she cares about. She lives next door to Ryan who she has known since they were both in pre-school.
Eddie: 7th grader, Eddie, loves to be outside. His dad would love for him to add golf to his many favorite sports (like hockey, soccer and track) but Eddie loves to fish. He especially loves fly fishing. Eddie’s dad, Artie, is the pro at Eagle Landing Golf Club.
Bethany: (real life Jasi K.) Bethany is confident, super athletic and obsessed with every water sport from rafting, to kayaking, to standup paddling, surfing and outrigger canoe racing . For Bethany, science, the Earth, the oceans, the river, trees and the sky – everything to do with nature – was where her heart and mind spent all of its time. Her mom, Jenna was so much like Bethany (or vice versa). She usually was the coach and river/ocean guide for Bethany and her friends. Jenna home schooled Bethany from time to time so they could go off on explorations and adventures.
Olivia: Even though Olivia is in the 8th grade, she seems much older. She has been in theater and dance her entire life and feels super confident in front of an audience. She was in the Green Team, before it was the Blue Team, in 6th and 7th grade but decided she could actually make more of a difference by joining “Speak Up.” Speak Up is a club that mixes debate, public speaking, awareness of community issues and how change happens. When she isn’t training for track, Olivia can be found paddling on the river. Lots of her best ideas come when she’s running or paddling. Once she takes on an issue she is a bulldog!