Book Review: Maybe a Mermaid by Josephine Cameron

Anthoni and her mom move around a lot. Her mother sells makeup at house parties (think Avon) and while things had been going well for a long time, recently sales have seriously dropped off, and they're unexpectedly in more difficult financial straits. Her mom had put down a substantial nonrefundable deposit at a fancy lake resort in the town where she'd grown up, for Anthoni to have that fun experience for the summer, but in the end, she gives up their apartment and they both go to the resort for the summer, with all their belongings in their car. Anthoni is determined to make the best of things, as The Showboat Resort is going to be amazing, like her mom said, right?

Welllllll, they're the only guests. It's more than a tad bit run down. But Anthoni nonetheless goes ahead with her summer plan to make a True Blue best friend, modeling her plan on her mother's marketing and sales plans. Meanwhile her mother's old childhood best friend isn't completely welcoming. The town kids also aren't exactly Anthoni's cup of tea. And the old lady who runs the resort is, well, quirky at best. Did she really used to be a mermaid in a vaudeville show? Did she REALLY used to be a mermaid? Is Anthoni's mom getting their lives back on track or further off? Will Anthoni make a True Blue best friend?


This review is a part of Kid Konnection, hosted by Booking Mama, a collection of children's book-related posts over the weekend.

This book is published by Farrar Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, a division of Macmillan, my employer.