MG Takes on Thursday

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

Then as Finn gazed at the filmy mist, it tore like thin gauze and for a moment he had a view.

This book in three words:

FRIENDSHIP, ADVENTURE, MAGICAL

Secrets of the Last Merfolk is an exciting, action-packed dual-narrative story that swept me into a magical, heart-pounding adventure to discover the truth behind a legend.

Finn has come to the Scottish coastal town of Dunlyre to spend Christmas with his father, stepmother and little sister, Ava; however, it is not long before he discovers that his father has work plans as he is the architect involved in the local harbour development.

Sage and her younger brother Taj move around a lot with their environmental campaigner mothers who have come to Dunlyre to protest about the harbour development.

Finn sees unusual swimmers at sea, and Sage hears strange, haunting singing. When Sage finds a shell box with a silver lock, she wonders if there could be any truth in the legend of the merfolk that her mother has told her.  When Finn gets in trouble swimming out at sea, he is rescued by merfolk and Sage who is kayaking nearby.  The key opens the shell box and inside is a map:  could it be the location of the last merfolk?

When Sage and Finn follow the map, they discover the truth:  merfolk are real, and they are in desperate need of the children’s help.  Will Sage and Finn have the courage to help their new friends defeat an ancient enemy intent on their destruction?

This is an incredibly exciting, fast-paced story with heart-pounding danger as secrets are uncovered and truths revealed.   I really enjoyed the blending of realism with fantastical elements.  Whilst this adventure has the incredible legend of the merfolk threaded throughout, it also deals with issues such as divorce, adjusting to new family relationships and bullying as well as environmental issues related to development and protecting the seas.  I loved the depiction of the merfolk as powerful creatures, grieving a terrible loss and trying to survive.

A fantastic and thrilling read for children of 9+.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!