Mermaids

Has great character develop. Can tell that the girls have a strong friendship. However this book is a bit short. ( )

Hailey and Claire have been friends forever. They are heartbroken that they will no longer be together because Claire is moving away when summer ends. The girls spend every day going to the beach club that they've always gone to, trying to make the days last. This isn't easy, as the summer seems to be slipping away faster the more they try to hold onto it. The beach club is falling apart and being torn down, which makes their impending separation seem that much harder. As the end of summer draws closer, a crazy storm hits Cape Cod. When the girls go to the club in the morning, the abandoned pool looks murky and disgusting. But that doesn't stop Hailey from diving right in, and what she sees changes everything. What are the chances of finding a stubborn mermaid under the water? Is she real or a figment of the girls’ imagination? Will they be able to grant the mermaid her one request before she agrees to go back to the ocean? What exactly will happen at the end of the summer? Check out this beachy read to find out!

I read Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman in just one sitting, as it is only about one hundred pages. The story of friendship is one that I think most people will be able to relate to, especially anyone who has ever had to move away from their best friend. I could relate to how scary it can be to have distance in a friendship, and how the girls worry that somebody else might take their place. I like that Claire and Hailey got to have one more fanciful event before they were separated from each other. I have never read a book with a mermaid in it, so this short read was a good way to get my feet wet. I think this book will appeal more to girls than boys based on the friendship between Hailey and Claire and the mermaid aspect, but boys may enjoy it too. Kids between the ages of eight and twelve will enjoy this fast read and long for some time near the ocean! ( )

Aquamarine
By Alice Hoffman
2001
Scholastic Read 180

Hailey and Claire have grown up together, looking forward to the summers they spent together hanging out at the Capri Club. Now the aging club is being torn down to build a bird sanctuary, they watch as it is being torn down. All that remains is the snack shack, run by Raymond, a friend of the girls. One day Hailey jumps into the murky waters of the dirty pond and she sees a mermaid named.....Aquamarine. The girls want to save her, and Raymond is fond of her. Life is looking good for Aquamarine.
This is a sweet and heart -warming story, written for middle grade students. I found it charming and a very good quick read. ( )

I flew through this in less than an hour, and really loved it. It captures that heartbreaking sense of loss that comes when a close friend moves away. It’s written for younger readers, but I found it spoke to me as an adult too. I think it’s less a story about finding a mermaid, and more about honouring the magic of friendship. ( )