Library Staff Directory
Posted May 20, 2016
Dive right into some books about mermaids and mermen!
The Case of a Fickle Mermaid: A Brothers Grimm Mystery by P.J. Brackston
All grown up and working as a private investigator, Gretel of the Brothers Grimm story Hansel and Gretel lands a job in Bavaria, just off the coast of Germany. Sailors are disappearing at an alarming rate, and there’s rumors floating around that mermaids and other supernatural sea creatures inhabit that area of sea. The captain of the Arabella wants to get to the bottom of this, and he hires Gretel to set sail and solve the mystery. And, of course, Gretel doesn’t travel alone - she brings Hansel along as a body guard. Set around the picturesque 18th century Friesian Islands, Brackston’s cozy crime mystery includes a touch of folk lore and a bit of fairy tale sure to bring back a little bit of your childhood.
Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet
Newlyweds Deb and Chip head to the Virgin Islands to celebrate their honeymoon, but a sudden discovery alters their vacation and lives forever. While soaking up the Caribbean sun, they meet Nancy, a marine biologist who swears she found mermaids in an undisclosed coral reef. Nancy invites the couple to a clandestine scuba swim where they find the mythological creatures. The group is sworn to secrecy, but soon word gets out via social media and corporate headquarters swoops in with plans to build a theme park. And Nancy, an experienced swimmer suspiciously drowns in her bathtub. It’s now up to Chip and Deb to save the mermaids from exploitation. Funny and imaginative, Millet weaves ecological concerns and modern reality in this darkly humorous satire.
The Merman by Carl-Johan Vallgren
The mundane meets the strange in this modern fairy tell when fifteen year old Nella makes a deal with a merman to help her brother, Robert. Robert is being bullied at school, and instead of continuing to shoplift as a means to pay off his tormenters, Nella enlists the help of her friend, Tommy. Nella notices that there’s something strange about Tommy, his brothers, and the run-down boathouse that they live in, and when Nella uncovers his secret, she is forced to make a decision that exhibits both love and sacrifice. Set in Sweden, Vallgren utilizes magical realism and the grotesque to create a haunting and somewhat violent fable that illuminates the darker side of humanity and the world we live in.
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