Mermaid School

A new student at Mermaid School is bullied. Marnie’s levelheaded mother assures her Mermaid School’s lovely while Christabel, her vivacious celebrity aunt, recalls getting into loads of trouble—mostly earned, as she was a rule-averse prankster. In an often seen trope, Marnie’s first encounter with a fellow student is with bully Orla. The teachers, remembering the chaos Christabel left in her wake, aren’t inclined to give Marnie the benefit of the doubt when she falls victim to someone else’s prank—obviously Orla’s. But when Orla’s meanness is noticed by other students, who then shun her, Marnie sympathizes with her, learning the rather convoluted root of Orla’s hostility. Evidently Christabel promised to play Orla’s sister’s song on the radio but didn’t, depriving Orla’s sister of a showbiz career and forcing her to go and work in the dangerous Gulf of Mexico, where she’s gone missing after a hurricane. Following formula to a T, Orla runs off and gets in trouble, and Marnie follows after to save her, and then everyone becomes friends. From a character-development standpoint, Marnie’s goodness is undermined by her lack of personality. Marnie, her family, her best friend, and Orla are white; mermaids of color are present as second-tier characters. Readers who notice a throwaway line about Marnie’s absentee father’s career mining natural gas may hope for further exploration in sequels. Unless mermaids really float your boat, toss this one back out to sea. (Fantasy. 7-11)

Copyright 2020 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-4--Marnie Blue is nervous for her first day at Lady Sealia Foam's Mermaid School. On top of the usual first-day jitters, Marnie is worried everyone will find out her aunt is Christabel Blue, the famous singer and former school troublemaker. Marnie gets herself in trouble during a failed attempt at completing a dare by classmate Orla. Marnie learns Orla's grudge has to do with three things: Marnie's aunt; Orla's sister; and a promise to play a demo tape on the air of Christabel's radio show. When Orla's sister disappears in a hurricane and Orla leaves out of anger and frustration, Marnie puts their differences aside, borrows a school seahorse, and goes out to look for Orla. All's well that ends well in this tale of friendship, bravery, and doing what is right. Courtenay weaves many sea references and a few factual details into the fictional narrative, while Dempsey's charming illustrations help to bring the characters to life. VERDICT This first installment of the "Mermaid School" series is a fun addition to any collection for young patrons who love mermaid tales and books about friendship.--Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa