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409 pp.
| Atheneum |
May, 2010 |
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-5060-8$16.99
(1)
4-6
Illustrated by
August Hall.
Ten-year-old Keeper "borrows" a boat to search for her (possibly) mermaid mama. Appelt's haunting, wistful novel alternates between Keeper's travails on the boat and flashbacks that tease out her past. Folkloric elements and magic realism are beautifully integrated into this tale of a girl slowly learning the truth about herself. Hall's shadowy, atmospheric mixed-media illustrations leave room for readers' imaginations to flow.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2010