Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2008

89%

WISE Score

The ultimate 'I found out I'm a mermaid' fantasy, but with actual plot and surprisingly real family stakes.

Emily Windsnap: Three Swishy Mermaid Tales

book

2008

89%

WISE Score

The ultimate 'I found out I'm a mermaid' fantasy, but with actual plot and surprisingly real family stakes.

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Screenwise Verdict

Emily Windsnap is a classic for a reason. It captures that specific age where you still want to believe in magic but you're starting to realize that grown-ups and their rules are complicated.

It’s not just about swimming around and looking pretty; there’s a real mystery involving Emily’s father and some actual tension. If your kid is into H2O: Just Add Water or anything involving the ocean, this collection is a no-brainer. It’s high-quality middle-grade fiction that hasn’t aged a day since 2008.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 8-to-12 crowd. It’s a solid bridge for kids moving out of early chapter books who want a story with a bit more meat on its bones.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core of the series is about a girl finding her place in two different worlds. It handles friendship and family loyalty with more sincerity than your average 'pink and sparkly' mermaid book.

Imaginative

Liz Kessler built a cohesive underwater world with its own rules and culture. It’s the kind of book that makes kids want to go to the pool and see if they can grow a tail.

Safe

Completely safe for the intended middle-grade audience. No sexual content or graphic violence, though there is some mild fantasy peril and a bit of emotional weight regarding a missing parent.

Enriching

Beyond the fantasy, it touches on complex themes like family secrets, living between two cultures, and the courage to break unfair rules.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It’s way better written than the generic mermaid fluff you see at the Scholastic book fair.
Handles the 'secret identity' trope with genuine stakes and emotional depth.
The world-building is immersive without being a slog to read.
Great for girls who want adventure but aren't quite ready for the heavy romance of YA fantasy.

⚠

What to Watch For

There’s some 'peril' involving an underwater prison and a scary kraken-like monster that might be a bit much for very sensitive 7-year-olds.
The plot involves a lot of lying to parents and keeping secrets, though it's usually for a 'good' reason.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Emily's mom kept the truth about her dad a secret for so long?"
"If you suddenly discovered you were half-something else, what would you want it to be?"
"The merman King has some pretty strict rules. Do you think Emily was right to break them?"
"How does Emily handle being part of two different worlds at the same time?"

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