Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
September 1, 2018/in Fiction 8-10 Junior/Middle /by Ellie
BfK Rating:
BfK 232 September 2018
Reviewer: Ferelith Hordon
ISBN: 978-1788541671
Price: £10.99
Publisher: Zephyr
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 240pp
Buy the Book

The Girl Who Thought Her Mother Was a Mermaid

Author: Tania Unsworth

Stella has run away before, always unsuccessfully, but now it is serious. She is serious. She is determined to find out the truth about her mother because Stella thinks that maybe her mother was a mermaid. She has one clue – a name, Lastland Island. That is her destination but what she finds there will not only be stranger than she can imagine but will land her in real danger.

This is a very enjoyable adventure, where reality mixes with a fantasy in which the author has indulged in “what if..”. It might be described as “magical realism” or perhaps a “fantasy” but these epithets would be incorrect– both the Stella’s world and adventure and the fantasy element are too real for either to fit neatly. Nor will the reader care since Unsworth’s imagination convinces from the first sentence to the last. Her prose is clear and direct and the reader’s sympathies are quickly engaged. Stella’s longing to find out more is very understandable as is her home situation with a father immersed in work. Characters are neatly drawn. Both Stella and her best friend Cam emerge as credible schoolgirls while even the frightening Marcie convinces in her obsession and cruelty. At the heart of the story anchoring it is a strong ecological message; what would the reader do if faced with a fantasy creature? What would be the consequences of publishing such a find? There is a trend with authors exploring this particular mix of the real world with the fantastical. This is an example to be welcomed – and not least for the attractive design both of the dust cover to the page decorations subtly breaking up the text. This is one to recommend to KS2 readers who are already exploring worlds that challenge the imagination.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Ellie http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Ellie2018-09-01 16:09:002021-03-30 16:10:48The Girl Who Thought Her Mother Was a Mermaid

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

BfK 254 May 2022 Download BfK Issue BfK 254 May 2022
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Peter Bently and Steven Lenton named winners of The Children’s Book Award 2022

June 27, 2022

Shortlist for the 2022 SLA Information Book Award

June 23, 2022

2022 Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Winners Announced

June 16, 2022

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2022 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
First Prize for the Worst Witch The Great Telephone Mix Up
Scroll to top