(10) Mermaid Tales: Dream Of The Blue Turtle by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 128

Summary(goodreads.com):
Kiki Coral can see the future;can she save a friend from his dangerous fate?

Kiki Coral has an amazing gift: she can see the future. She doesn't have visions very often, but they are always surprising! When Kiki sees a vision of her classmate Rocky Ridge coming face-to-frightening-face with a gigantic leatherback turtle, she is frightened to the tip of her shiny purple tail. Can Kiki save Rocky from his dangerous fate? What if no one in Trident Academy believes her scary prediction?




My Review:
 This is the 7th book in the Mermaid Tales series, and I am starting to get quite bored with these books. First, I wanted to know more about when Kiki first got her visions.  How old was she? What was her first vision? I did love some of the themes and concepts in this book. I loved how it teaches children about trusting their friends, and how to work on a team, I also love that the leatherback  turtle's endangered status was mentioned.

Later on in the story, Pearl forces Kiki to work on their project using plastic bags. How would they know what this is, if they are confused about items in the people museum? The mergirls always question what human items are since they never see them every day.

This wasn't a very exciting mermaid tale, and Marvin the sea turtle, which was the most anticipated sea creature, only appeared for 2 pages!
I give this book (**) 2 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(9) the Selkie Girl by Janis Mackay

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Janis Mackay
Pages: 32

Summary(goodreads.com):
Fergus lives with his father by the sea, but is lonely. He wants a friend more than anything. One day Fergus finds treasure on the beach: a beautiful fur blanket hidden in the rocks. But Fergus doesn't know that his treasure belongs to someone else - a selkie girl has lost her seal skin and can't go home to the sea without it. Will Fergus give his new friend what she needs, and risk being lonely again?

My Review:
Yay! I was so happy when I found that my local library had a new selkie children's book to explore :) After the last couple of selkie books that I've read, I was expecting another let down. However, this story was beautiful! The text is not juvenile, so adults and mer-children can enjoy it together. The illustrations were breath taking, especially of the selkie women. They really captured the alluring magic of selkies.

This book teaches young children the true value of friendship and promises, but also the lesson that if you love someone or something, set it free.
I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(8) Water Shaper byLaura Williams McCaffrey

Book Type: Novel
Author:Laura Williams McCaffrey
Pages: 224

Summary(goodreads.com):
Margot is the daughter of a king, but she is beloved by neither his court nor his kingdom. She has “water in her blood,” a trait associated with magic and looked upon with distaste and suspicion. When she meets Orrin, a foreign king who is respectful, not scornful, of her affinity for water, she flees with him to his castle by the sea, though she soon realizes he is not as benevolent as she first thought. Intertwined with Margot’s story is that of Bird, a storyteller who must tell stories for Orrin, though he can barely stand him. When Orrin steals the Book of the Sea, a magical gift given to Margot by her mother, Margot knows she must run away once again, and the threads of the two stories begin to intertwine.


My Review:
When I first saw that this book involved selkies, I was so excited. It's sometimes hard to find good selkie books, especially in the YA genre. When I delved into the first chapter, I immediately fell in love with the medieval historical vibe.

...But that's pretty much all I enjoyed.

Half way through the book, and I was still waiting for something to happen. About three quarters of the book lacked energy, and I didn't feel any excitement while reading this. I also did not enjoy Margot, the main character. She lacks strength, and constantly feels the need to impress Orrin. Although this book says it involves selkies, it took forever to get to the selkie part!
The ending really made me say, "That's it?"
I unfortunately did not like this book at all, and I don't recommend reading it. It was confusing, boring and lacked the selkie elements that it promises. 
I give this book (**) 2 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Hey Merfolk!
I've found a whole bunch of selkie books I cant wait to share with you! :)
Check back this weekend for new book reviews!
-Sirenita The Selkie

Tempest Trilogy Is Finished!

Hi Merfolk!

I just finished the last book of the Tempest Series, making it the 7th book in the Mermaid Summer Reading Challenge!

Have you read the series?

What did you think? Post a reply at the bottom of this link:

Tempest Trilogy by Tracy Deebs

-Sirenita The Selkie 

(6) The Little mermaid by Robert Sabuda

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Robert Sabuda
Pages: 12

Summary(goodreads.com):
A beloved under-the-sea tale is now a pop-up masterpiece, from expert craftsman Robert Sabuda.

Come along on a magical journey under the sea in this stunning pop-up adaptation of the beloved fairy tale The Little Mermaid, expertly crafted by renowned paper engineer Robert Sabuda. Amazing three-dimensional paper structures pop off each page, bringing this classic underwater adventure to life. This visually stunning tale of adventure, true love, and sacrifice is sure to become a favorite in any story-lovers library.


My Review:
Believe it or not, this book has been sitting on my shelf, waiting to be explored for two years! I was just so busy with other mermaid books that I forgot about this gem that I bought with Christmas money :) 
I love how the author simplified the original text; it's perfect! Its easy to understand without skipping over the original beauty of Hans Christian Anderson's writing. But what really made this story come to life was the amazing pop ups!
I have never seen a more beautiful pop up book!
That being said, this isn't exactly safe in a merchild's hands. These pop ups are very delicate!!!
Adults should accompany children and be careful when you open it! Some of the pop ups got a bit annoying when I was reading the book. They got stuck when I tried to open them, and I accidentally ripped one because it didn't open right :(
I loved this book and it really is a beautiful gem in anyone's mer-library, but be careful with the pop ups, especially around children! However, this would make a perfect bedtime story :)
I give this book (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(5) The Dolphins Of Coral Cove by K.S. Rodriguez

Book Type: Novel/Paperback
Author: K.S. Rodriguez
Pages: 80

*Sorry for the missing pic, Merfolk! I will upload a picture as soon as I can!*

Summary:
Ariel and her sisters find a pod of dolphins and decide to befriend them. When one of the dolphins is caught, how will Ariel help her new friend?

My Review:
I loved that this book didn't start off with slow events, and the reader is immediately captured into the undersea life of Ariel! The dolphins are so cute! They're friendly, playful and have characteristics that remind me of real dolphins.

But what I loved most about this book is that it dealt with the very real and contemporary issue of animals in captivity, and how it not only destroys important family bonds, but it destroys an animal emotionally. When one of the dolphins is caught in a net, my heart ached, and I almost had tears in my eyes.
This was one of my favorite The Little Mermaid paperbacks so far!
I give this book (****) 4 stars.