Jennifer Mattson (Booklist, May 1, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 17))
This first novel opens with a classic teaser: "Can you keep a secret?" It turns out that the secret is a particularly juicy one. Though outwardly a normal seventh-grader, Emily Windsnap transforms into a mermaid when she goes swimming. The phenomenon worries her but thrills her, too, especially when she discovers an underwater "mer-city" not far from where she lives, and begins to learn the answers to nagging questions about her origins: Why did her father abandon her when she was a baby? Why can't her mother remember details about her husband? After a new mermaid friend mentions "illegal marriages" between mer-people and humans, readers will guess where things are headed--long before Emily herself does. Emily's eventual reunion with her merman father seems overly reliant on luck and coincidence, but her determination keeps things cruising along, and the premise of someone slipping easily into a shimmery underwater world has considerable allure. Light, imagination-tickling fare ideal for middle-grade girls, with charming ink-wash illustrations scattered throughout. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Fiction. 2004, Candlewick, $15.99. Gr. 4-7.

Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
The Tail of Emily Windsnap opens with a tantalizing question: "Can you keep a secret?" The first-person narrator, a 12-year-old girl named Emily, then relates an amazing fish story. Discovering her mermaid nature in seventh grade swim class, she goes on to find her father (a merman imprisoned for loving Emily's human mother) and to confront Neptune in his glittering underwater court. In her debut novel, Liz Kessler creates an engaging heroine, full of funny asides and derring do, and a sparkling, fast-paced story with more plot twists than a mermaid's flipping tail. Hand this one to your kids when they complain of nothing to do. 2003, Candlewick, $15.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature)
What happens when an ordinary girl discovers that she's really a mermaid? Emily finds out when, upon taking her first swimming lesson, she finds that her legs fuse together into a tail whenever she is immersed in water. Her mother has always been afraid of the water, but once Emily discovers her ability to change, she swims to the open sea. She meets Shona, a mermaid who has lived her whole life in the sea. Shona introduces Emily to mermaid culture. Emily soon discovers that her father is in prison for having a relationship with Emily's mother, a human. Emily's mother remembers nothing of the affair because she is continuously fed a memory drug by an agent of King Neptune. Emily then undertakes the double task of freeing her father and helping her mother regain her memory. While the story is enchanting and cleverly told, the ending seems a bit contrived. The mermaids, rather than admitting them to their city, allow mixed human mermaid to go to an island where such families can live in peace. In the face of this intolerance, Emily and her family seem overly happy. Emily also completely abandons her life as a land-dweller, rather than dealing with the problems she has with her schoolmates. The underlying message that cross-cultural families belong only with other cross-cultural families is disturbing and goes against the other messages in the book (such that one should be true to oneself and differences are nothing to be ashamed of). Sarah Gibb's black and white illustrations accent the story beautifully and whimsically. 2004, Candlewick Press, $15.99. Ages 8 up.

Sue Lay (Library Media Connection, April/May 2004)
This middle school fantasy is about a mermaid child named Emily who lives on a boat with her mother and isn't allowed in the water. Emily is forced to take swimming class in school and she is amazed to discover that her legs grow together and she can breathe underwater! Luckily she meets a mermaid named Shona who wants a best friend and she introduces Emily to the wonderful "merworld." All of this is delivered in a cute and "bubbly" tone where no one just "says" anything; they sneer, snort, blurt or are just dog-gone "Swishy." If you are looking for a simple cheery story this may be what you need. If you want a fantasy literature masterpiece try The Wind in the Willows (Viking, 1908). Additional Selection. 2004, Candlewick Press, 224pp., $15.99 hc. Ages 11 to 14.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 9))
Emily Windsnap lives on a boat but has never learned to swim, and until seventh-grade swim class she has never been totally immersed in a body of water. Once in the water--an event she anticipates with great excitement--her life undergoes a profound (and literal) sea-change: Emily discovers that when she’s immersed in water her legs fuse and become a tail; that while on land she’s a human girl, in the water she becomes a mermaid. Her adventures in the sea and her search for an explanation of her strange gift lead her to her mother’s forgotten secret, her long-lost father, and her mer-heritage, all of which are in danger from Neptune, the controlling king of the sea. The text suffers from too-casual language sprinkled with bits of soon-to-be-dated slang, and the development of the undersea world is shallow. The derivative plot owes much to made-for-television movies and that splashy bit of ’80s cinema, but there is no denying the siren-like allure of mermaid stories for the preadolescent set. Emily is a likable if not particularly original character, and while the unfolding of events is utterly predictable, the action does move fairly quickly to a happily-ever-after conclusion. Gibb’s spot art has a fluid delicacy that adds much to the watery ambience. (Reviewed from galleys) Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Candlewick, 224p, $15.99. Grades 5-7.

Virginia Gleaton (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 2))
This is an entertaining story that involves a young girl, Emily. She discovers, rather by accident, that she turns into a mermaid when she gets in water. This discovery leads Emily to explore the world of mermaids and mermen. She becomes friends with another mermaid who helps Emily find her real father amidst very strange happenings. This story has a lot of twists and turns in the plot. The theme will appeal more to girls than to boys. Fiction. Grades 5-7. 2004, Candlewick, 208p., $15.99. Ages 10 to 13.

Angela Carstensen (VOYA, June 2004 (Vol. 27, No. 2))
Emily is in seventh grade and has finally persuaded her mother to let her take swimming lessons. Even though they live on a houseboat, her mother stays away from the water. But when Emily jumps into the pool something strange starts to happen, and she panics. That night she just has to know. She sneaks out onto the pier, slips into the ocean--and becomes a mermaid. Somehow Emily knows to keep her discovery a secret, even from her mother. Fortunately a few nights later she meets Shona, a full-time mermaid. They have great fun exploring the ocean and become best friends. Emily even visits Shona's mermaid school. Emily never met her father, and although her mother misses him deeply, she seems to have trouble remembering him. At Shona's school, Emily hears the scandalous story behind her father's disappearance. The mystery intensifies when the two girls stumble across secret files being kept on Emily, her mother, and her father. Initially Kessler's story shows every intention of being lighthearted and sweet, including illustrations sprinkled through the text. But once Emily becomes determined to find her father, she goes through some frightening times. She is betrayed by a former friend, struggles against a memory drug being forced on her mother, infiltrates an underwater prison, and confronts Neptune himself. Kessler seems unsure about the tone she wishes to set, but middle school girls nonetheless will enjoy the tale. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2004, Candlewick, 224p., $15.99. Ages 11 to 14.