The Tail of Emily Windsnap - by Liz Kessler

About the Book

This story about a girl who learns she is half mermaid lures readers into a glorious undersea world--an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the power of love. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

The New York Times best-selling series

A young girl learns she's half mermaid and plunges into a scheme to reunite with her father in this entrancing, satisfying tale that beckons readers far below the waves.

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery -- about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident -- an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.

Review Quotes

Pre-teen girls will likely bite at this novel's tempting bait.
--Publishers Weekly

Delightful moments.
--School Library Journal

Light, imagination-tickling fare ideal for middle-grade girls, with charming ink-wash illustrations scattered throughout.
--Booklist

Middle school girls . . . will enjoy the tale.
--VOYA

There is no denying the siren-like allure of mermaid stories. . . . Gibb's spot art has a fluid delicacy that adds much to the watery ambience.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Liz Kessler makes a splash with this tightly written, highly imaginative debut.
--FamilyFun

Charming.
--The Wall Street Journal

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 tale.
--Washington Parent

About the Author

Liz Kessler lives in England, and has worked as a teacher, journalist, and editorial consultant. She says she first knew she wanted to become a writer at the age of nine, when she had a poem published in a local newspaper. The Tail of Emily Windsnap, her first children's book, grew out of a poem she wrote about a mermaid.