Take the plunge

I kept thinking of the word "enchanting" while I devoured The Mermaid's Mirror by L. K. Madigan.  Lena is fifteen and lives on the California coast.  Even though she's a great swimmer, her father won't let her take surfing lessons because of an accident he had years ago.  However, after she thinks she sees a mermaid, she takes lessons on the sly and eventually learns an incredible secret about her past.  The author does such a great job with realistic thoughts, actions, and dialogue, that it's easy for the reader to go along with the idea that Lena learns she's half-mermaid and gets to take an amazing journey to their undersea world.  Will she stay, or will she return to her family and friends on land?  A wonderfully believable and mesmerizing story.

A definite keeper

The story starts off a little slowly, but patient readers will be rewarded for sticking with Keeper by Kathi Appelt.  Keeper is ten years old, and she's really excited about all sorts of special things that are going to happen the night of the next blue moon. But after accidentally ruining everything, Keeper thinks she'll feel better if she can talk to her mom, who swam away seven years ago, and who Keeper believes is a mermaid.  As Keeper sets out in a rowboat with BD (Best Dog) and Captain (a seagull), the story flashes back to significant events in her life; as the weather and water get worse, the truth of Keeper's history slowly dawns on her.  Sweet, haunting, hopeful, with a touch of magical realism...a beautiful story.