From GoodReads: It’s Maddy’s turn to have a bayou summer. At first she misses life back home in the city, but soon she grows to love everything about her new surroundings — the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only Maddy sees. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be only the sibling to carry on her family’s magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero?

Finally, a mermaid story that doesn’t involve some girl pining after a prince! In all seriousness, I enjoyed The Little Mermaid as a kid, but Bayou Magic puts a very different spin on mermaid lore. One where the main character has a lot of agency and power. I read this book in a day. Sure, it was a quick read but I was also so engrossed I didn’t want to put it down.

Rhodes draws on West African mermaid lore and Mami Wata. Maddy has never left New Orleans and now it’s her summer to spend with her grandmother who lives in the bayou. She is nervous, especially since her older sisters did not enjoy their summers, but she comes to discover she loves the bayou and her grandmother despite how foreign it all feels. She spends her days outside running free through the swamp with Bear, her new friend. She also meets the residents of the bayou and comes to appreciate their way of life and community. As she comes to know the bayou she also begins to see Mami Wata, someone her ancestors have been able to see, but not any recent generations. As she comes to love the bayou Maddy knows that when it is threatened by the Gulf Oil Spill she has to ask Mami Wata for help.

Rhodes is such an impactful writer. I really love how she crafts not just her plots and characters, but how she chooses to write her sentences and dialog. And her writing changes a bit from book to book (or at least between the three I’ve read so far) enough that each character has her own unique voice, but still maintains a sense of the author.

The book would be perfect for fourth, fifth, sixth, even seventh or eighth grade. It’s easy enough for upper elementary to read, but the subject and coming of age theme has broad appeal. As with Rhodes other characters, Maddy  is a spunky girl, but she’s also open. Open to new experiences and open to the magic that can be found in the bayou. There is an environmental message here, but it never feels heavy-handed and I think the message that Maddy can be a hero and help makes it very accessible to young students.

My one and only complaint with this book is the cover. Specifically Maddy’s outfit. When Maddy arrives in the bayou she is given overalls to wear and she accepts them. Her city clothes don’t make a reappearance. It’s also a first, because her older sisters have all spent a summer in the bayou and balked at the experience. The magic of the bayou doesn’t speak to them the way it does to Maddy. Part of their rejection of the whole summer experience is refusing to wear or begrudgingly wearing the overalls. Maddy is skeptical, but accepts them and comes to appreciate how practical they are. So the cover has this lovely white dress, something totally counter to what Maddy would be wearing, not to mention completely ignoring the significance of her clothing choice.

Apparently this one doesn’t come out until May. I got an ARC at KidLitCon and just realized how late the publication date is. Sorry if I piqued your interest and now you have to wait. Although it will definitely be worth the wait.