It’s so good to be sharing a wonderful middle grade with you all again! And this one is a super fun tale. In fact, I loved this story so much, that in a roundabout way it led to a big announcement I’ve been sitting on for the last couple months–that is, as my husband and I head into the next stage of our lives, we’ve decided to do it from the home base of a houseboat! It’s a big step and will bring a lot of changes, but we’re excited about our new digs and to give this a try!

Or…not. Y’all did notice today’s date, right?

April Fool’s!

So sorry about that–I’ve never been good at resisting a laugh and this made me chortle throughout the writing of this entire blog post. 😀 While I have seriously considered a variety of adventures, living on a houseboat is not one of them. One, because I’m too fond of my treasures and have enough books to sink the thing and two, because I’m somewhat prone to seasickness–especially on smaller boats!

However, I really was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Tail of Emily Windsnap! On first glance it seems like the kind of book that will struggle to keep an adult’s attention, but I found it highly readable and was always engaged.

Twelve-year-old Emily and her mother actually do live on a houseboat, which seems odd to Emily since her mother is deathly afraid of water. But that’s only one of many odd things about their lives, which become stranger still once Emily succeeds in persuading her mom to let her take her first swim class–which is also her first time ever being submerged in water–and finds her legs fusing together as she grows a tail and morphs into a mermaid.

With plenty of mocking already going on from Emily’s former friend and now enemy, she isn’t about to risk being discovered and quickly finds a way to extract herself from the situation. However, the call of the water has woken in her ears and she begins exploring the ocean on her own from the back of their houseboat in nightly excursions. This leads to making a friend, and discovering a mer world beneath the waves…which also leads to questions about how exactly Emily–with her human mother–can be a mermaid, and what the truth is about her absent father. Meanwhile, plenty of visually rich moments and interesting people keep things popping. The babysitter was one such unique character and while she seemed one of the story’s few dangling threads, it’s possible it’s meant to be that way, and she’ll get addressed in book two. She’s memorable, and since this is a series it’s great to have people we’d like to get to know better in future books.

I will admit it’s likely most adult readers will see the twists coming before they arrive. However, the writer’s imagination has painted a world that’s unique despite its familiar roots and characters that are individual and often surprising. It was this rich world-building married with the strong characterization that carried the day and for me elevated the story above its slim size and reading level. It also packed a surprising number of issues in, such as longing for an absent or unknown parent and the stories children might tell themselves regarding the missing parent, when and under what circumstances it’s okay to defy the rules that govern society, friendships–both at the kid and adult level–and the power that courtesy and generosity can wage even when they seem to have no place. Like I said, a fair amount of punch all things considered.

I almost hate to ask for Apricot-kitty’s views of it…but feel obligated so here goes:

“The fact that you would even expose a poor innocent feline to this book…it counts as cruelty to all aquaphobic animals everywhere! I’m not sure I’ll ever feel dry again. Certainly it will take me until summer to feel warm.”

Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have asked.  All the same, I suggest this one for any young readers who are enamored with the sea and mermaids as a book their teachers and parents can enjoy as well!

As regards to Apricot’s complaint of being waterlogged, I planned to save this for summer but my Orlando trip plus the couple days this month we’ve had that were just shy of 80 degrees persuaded me that it could go up now. I know many of you are still weeks away from truly spring weather, though, so for you it can be a breath of warm sunshiney air and a chance to dream!

For the full roundup of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday books, interviews, spotlights and reviews, stop by Greg Pattridge’s blog, and happy reading!

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