TL;DR
The Emily Windsnap series is a middle-grade fantasy staple that hits the sweet spot for kids aged 8-12 who are over The Little Mermaid but not quite ready for the heavy romance or violence of YA. It follows Emily, a girl who discovers she’s a "semi-mer" (half-mermaid) the moment she hits the water. It’s a solid pick for building a reading habit because it balances "mer-magic" with real-world issues like broken families, environmentalism, and finding where you belong.
Quick Links for the Series:
- Book 1: The Tail of Emily Windsnap
- The Vibe: Middle-grade fantasy series
- For Fans of: Percy Jackson and H2O: Just Add Water
If your kid has ever spent an entire pool session trying to do a handstand or dolphin-kick like they have a tail, they’ve probably already heard of Emily Windsnap. Written by Liz Kessler, this series started back in 2003 and has grown into a massive nine-book saga.
The story kicks off when 12-year-old Emily Windsnap finally convinces her overprotective mom to let her take swimming lessons. The second she enters the water, her legs fuse into a tail. It turns out her dad is a merman who has been "missing" (read: imprisoned by King Neptune) because human-mer marriages are strictly illegal in the undersea world.
While the first few books focus on the "secret identity" trope and reuniting her family, the series eventually evolves into a larger exploration of ocean politics, ancient curses, and environmental protection. It’s the kind of series that grows with the reader, moving from "Look, I have a tail!" to "How do we stop humans from destroying the reef?"
It’s easy to dismiss mermaid stories as "pink and sparkly" fluff, but Kessler actually gives Emily some teeth. Kids gravitate toward this series for a few specific reasons:
- The Ultimate Wish Fulfillment: Every middle-schooler feels like a freak at some point. Emily’s "freakishness" turns out to be a literal superpower. That’s a powerful hook for a 10-year-old navigating the awkwardness of puberty.
- Low-Stakes Rebellion: Emily has to keep huge secrets from her mom and navigate a world with very strict, often unfair rules. It mirrors the "parents just don't understand" phase of pre-teen life.
- The Lore: The world-building is surprisingly deep. It’s not just "underwater humans"; there’s a whole culture, a legal system (governed by the somewhat terrifying King Neptune), and different species of sea folk.
If your kid finishes the Emily Windsnap series and is craving more of that specific "hidden world" energy, here’s where to point them next:
This is the live-action equivalent of Emily Windsnap. Three teenage girls get stranded on an island and turn into mermaids whenever they touch water. It’s peak 2000s Australian TV, and honestly, it’s still incredibly popular with the 9-13 demographic. It deals with the same "how do I hide this from my crush?" drama that keeps kids turning pages.
If they liked the "different cultures and ancient laws" aspect of the ocean world, Wings of Fire is the natural progression. It’s a bit more violent (dragon wars, etc.), but it has that same obsessive fan-base energy.
For a kid who likes the "discovery of a secret heritage" plot, this is a fantastic choice. It draws on Bengali folklore and features a protagonist who finds out she's an intergalactic princess. It's fast-paced and very funny.
If the ocean activism in the later Windsnap books resonated, check out our guide on how to teach kids about ocean activism through media.
Target Age: 8 to 12
- Reading Level: The prose is accessible. It’s a great "bridge" series for kids moving out of early chapter books like Rainbow Magic but who aren't quite ready for the complexity of The Hunger Games book.
- Content Concerns: Very low. There is some "peril"—Emily gets chased by krakens, deals with a creepy lighthouse keeper, and faces off against King Neptune—but it’s never graphic.
- Romance: There is some light "crush" energy as the series progresses (Emily has a merman boyfriend named Shona), but it remains very PG. It’s more about "holding hands and blushing" than anything parents need to worry about.
There has been talk of an Emily Windsnap TV show for years. Currently, Sony Pictures Television has the rights, and it’s rumored to be heading toward a streaming platform like Hulu or Disney+.
As parents, we know the drill: the book is almost always better than the show. However, a TV adaptation usually means a resurgence in the "mer-style" aesthetic on TikTok and Roblox. If the show drops, expect to see a lot of "Emily Windsnap" themed skins in Roblox or "mer-core" outfits popping up in your feed.
Check out our guide on navigating "aesthetic" trends on social media
While it looks like a fun beach read (and it is), there are a few things worth discussing with your kids as they work through the books:
1. Identity and "The Middle"
Emily is half-human and half-mer. She doesn't fully fit in either world. This is a great metaphor for kids who feel like they are "between" things—whether that's being biracial, having parents in different homes, or just feeling like they don't fit into a specific social clique at school.
2. Questioning Authority
King Neptune is portrayed as a bit of a tyrant. He enforces laws that separate families "for the good of the kingdom." The series doesn't shy away from the idea that sometimes laws are wrong and need to be challenged. It’s a gentle introduction to civic engagement and the idea of justice vs. legality.
3. Environmentalism
Later in the series, specifically in books like Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun, the focus shifts toward the melting ice caps and the impact of humans on the ocean. It’s a "soft" way to introduce climate anxiety without it being overwhelming.
Learn more about how to talk to kids about climate change through fiction
If you want to engage with your kid about what they're reading without sounding like you're conducting an interview, try these "no-pressure" questions:
- "If you found out you were half-something else, what would you want it to be? (Dragon? Alien? Ghost?)"
- "King Neptune is kind of a jerk for keeping Emily's dad away, right? Do you think he's trying to be a good king or just a bossy one?"
- "If you had a tail, where’s the first place you’d swim to?"
The Emily Windsnap series is a "safe bet" for middle-grade readers. It’s imaginative, respectful of its audience's intelligence, and carries enough emotional weight to keep them engaged through nine books. It’s not "brain rot" content; it’s a well-constructed fantasy world that encourages empathy and a love for the natural world.
If your kid is currently obsessed with Roblox or YouTube and you’re looking for a "hook" to get them back into paper books, the mystery of Emily’s missing father and the "secret mermaid" reveal in the first few chapters is a pretty reliable lure.
Next Steps:
- Grab a copy of The Tail of Emily Windsnap from the library.
- If they love it, check out our list of best books for 10-year-old girls.
- Keep an eye out for news on the TV adaptation—we'll update our Emily Windsnap guide as soon as a trailer drops.