The Tail of Emily Windsnap - by Liz Kessler

About the Book

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has anxiously kept Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery -- about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface.

Book Synopsis

The enchanting first tale in the New York Times best-selling series is now available in a beautiful twentieth-anniversary edition poised to captivate a new generation.

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has anxiously kept Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery--about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. In a lovely twentieth-anniversary edition of the spellbinding fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love, New York Times best-selling author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident. This deluxe unjacketed hardcover features a ribbon bookmark, decorative stained edges, an author's note, facts about mermaids, and a personality quiz to reveal what kind of sea creature the reader might be.

Review Quotes

Pre-teen girls will likely bite at this novel's tempting bait.
--Publishers Weekly

Light, imagination-tickling fare ideal for middle-grade girls, with charming ink-wash illustrations scattered throughout.
--Booklist

Middle school girls . . . will enjoy the tale.
--VOYA

There is no denying the siren-like allure of mermaid stories. . . . Gibb's spot art has a fluid delicacy that adds much to the watery ambience.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Liz Kessler makes a splash with this tightly written, highly imaginative debut.
--FamilyFun

Charming.
--The Wall Street Journal

Liz Kessler creates an engaging heroine, full of funny asides and derring-do, and a sparkling, fast-paced story with more plot twists than a mermaid's flipping tale.
--Washington Parent

Kessler has a wonderful new "tail" she has woven with Emily...There is enough mystery that you keep reading for more... It is a book that leaves you wanting more Emily.
--1340magbooks.com

One of the more imaginative tales I have ever read.
--5 Minutes for Books blog

About the Author

Liz Kessler lives in England, and has worked as a teacher, journalist, and editorial consultant. She says she first knew she wanted to become a writer at the age of nine, when she had a poem published in a local newspaper. The Tail of Emily Windsnap, her first children's book, grew out of a poem she wrote about a mermaid.