Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist

Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
Author: Liz Kessler
Illustrator: Sarah Gibb
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763633305
ISBN-13: 978-0763633301

In the third book in the series, Emily is now going to school on Allpoints Island learning things like how to decorate her tail, search for ocean treasures and comb out her hair. Her mother the human isn’t thrilled with this type of education and wants something a little more educational like history. Her father the merman thinks it’s fine and is proud of his daughter. Needless to say, this is causing some arguing. Beyond that the parents are adjusting to living together again after the long enforced separation so there’s bound to be some clashes. Emily thinks they’re splitting up and she’s having some heavy anxiety about it.

One day while treasure hunting for a school project, Emily discovers an old diamond ring. She puts it on and her life starts to change again and not for the better! The diamond turns out to be part of a long hidden secret of Neptune’s. When he finds out she has it, he curses her – in just a few days she’ll no longer be half-human, half-mermaid. She’ll have to choose which one she’ll be and which parent she’ll live with and which she will say goodbye to forever unless she can figure out how to break the curse.

Emily sets off to find a way to change her destiny and get out of this mess. She finds a mysterious castle in the mist, a boy who seems to hold the key to the mystery and a whole lot of trouble.

I’m a fan of Emily Windsnap. She’s smart, she’s spunky, she can be brave, but mostly she’s just an ordinary teenaged girl that just happens to have a tail. She deals with issues most teens these days have, like parents not getting along, homework and fitting in with her friends.

What I like about the Emily books is how there’s always real problems going on that get intertwined with the magical and fanciful. Yes, there’s a long time magical curse to break but the heart of the matter is that Emily’s worried about her parents, divorce and which parent to live with. Those are very real, very common issues that kids can relate to. What shines through this book is the very real love Emily has for her parents and they for her. It also makes it very clear that life isn’t easy.

Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist is an enchanting ocean mystery that girls will love.

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep
Author: Liz Kessler
Illustrator: Sarah Gibb
Publisher: Candlewick Press



Emily Windsnap is just like any ordinary teen-aged girl with all the problems that girls that age have. She’s just a bit more unusual than most girls. Emily is half mermaid. In this charming sequel to The Tail of Emily Windsnap (Candlewick, 2004) she is ecstatic that her parents are back together after years apart, they’re moving to the Bermuda Triangle to Allpoints Island a safe haven where merfolk and humans coexist in peace, her best friend Shona the mermaid is moving there as well, and she is leaving behind her school bully Mandy Rushton. Life should be wonderful indeed and it seems that way at first. Of course, that’s before she and Shona accidentally awaken the Kracken and plunge Allpoints Island into incredible danger.

Like most of us, Emily has a hard time owning up to what she did and taking responsibility for it. Her parents are fighting more and more and she doesn’t seem to fit in with the other mermaids. Worst of all, she runs right smack into her old nemesis Mandy.

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep is an interesting story and Emily herself is quite the heroine. It's not every girl that can take on both Neptune and the Kracken! She battles the same issues most girls these days do and then some. She’s very plucky, curious and wants to do the right thing. She’s even willing to fight for what she thinks is right. She’s also human enough to be scared, to not want to face up to her own actions, to leave things till the last possible minute. I think there’s a part in all of us that will identify with her. What makes her unique and even more interesting is the fact that she just happens to have a tail.

Another thing that I love about Emily is that she’s a mixture - half human, half mermaid. Emily’s story shows her wanting to be the best of both and fit in with the humans and the mermaids. Her parents trying to adjust themselves to each other’s world and feeling like they don’t fit in strikes a very real note and ties in nicely. I think that girls will identify and love Emily Windsnap. Highly recommended.

About the Author:
Liz Kessler lives on a canal boat in rural Cheshire, England. She knew that her first book, The Tail of Emily Windsnap, wasn’t the end of the Emily’s story. She got the idea for the kraken from the name of an amusement park ride, then went on a snorkeling trip to Bermuda to fill in more details. Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep will be published in 15 countries.

The Mermaid's Bracelet

The Mermaid’s Bracelet
Author: Beth Harwood
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0439850940
ISBN-13: 978-0439850940

Book Description from the publisher:
Hannah loves her vacation by the seashore, but she wishes she had somebody to play with. When she finds a message in a bottle from a mermaid, Hannah writes back--and soon she and Shelly become friends. Shelly has lost a favorite bracelet, but soon discovers a map that leads Hannah to a special treasure box--and another new friend! This charming book with a padded glittery cover includes 7 envelopes and 8 notes, a map, and a 3-D treasure box, plus a sea star charm bracelet!

The Mermaid’s Bracelet is an adorable little book. It’s very pink, very girly and very fun. I loved it because the little notes back and forth that were included in envelopes stuck to the pages really encourage interaction and a healthy sense of fun.

Writing letters is becoming a lost art in this age of emails, instant messaging and texting on cell phones. I loved that this book shows little girls just how much fun letter writing can be, how sending and receiving notes from a friend is a lovely thing.

The story itself is a fun and warm little treasure hunt. The illustrations are pastel and flowery, just what little girls love. The charm bracelet at the end of the story gives them a real treasure after the hunt and a sense of magic.

Mariana and the Merchild

Mariana and the Merchild: A Folktale from Chile
Author: Caroline Pitcher
Illustrator: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ISBN-10: 0802852041
ISBN-13: 978-0802852045

Mariana and the Merchild is the story of a lonely old woman who lives by the sea. Each day she walks along the shore gathering things and longing for a child to cook for. The children of the village are afraid of Mariana and whisper behind her back adding to her sense of isolation. One day after a violent storm, Mariana finds a crab shell in which is hidden a merbaby. She takes the merbaby home and cares for her with all the love in her lonely heart. The merchild’s mother visits Mariana and asks her to care for her child until it is safe for her to take her back to the sea.

The writing is lyrical and the imagery beautiful. I loved the way the author describes the mermaid “Her hair flamed red and her skin shone as if polished by the sun with mother-of-pearl.”

The artwork is beautiful as well. Sweeping watercolors with wonderful earthtones give the true sense of the seashore. I loved the illustration of the waves during the storm and how the artist made them look like hungry wolves. The merchild is beautiful and wispy, a stark contrast to Mariana’s indigenous solidity.

Mariana and the Merchild is an emotional story of love, loneliness and wish fulfillment. I loved how as the merchild grew, she brought Mariana closer to the village children who would be consolation for Mariana when the time came for the merchild’s mother to come for her. I had expected a sad ending and was very pleasantly surprised at the way it all worked out.