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Meranda and the Legend of the Lake
Anne of Green Gables meets Song for a Whale with a touch of Nancy Drew Eleven-year-old Meranda thought her life was complicated enough with physical challenges (she uses crutches to walk) and her helicopter parents. But when her great-uncle Mark dies, Meranda and her family visit Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where her parents grew up and where she hasn’t been since the age of three. Soon, secrets begin to Why does the newspaper headline say her great-uncle Mark’s death was suspicious? Why do strangers keep calling Meranda “miracle baby”? Why does her usually calm mother seem so panicky and scared? And what on earth does all this have to do with mermaids? Meranda and her new friend, Claire, decide to investigate on their own. But as Meranda begins to separate fact from fiction, she finds herself in very real danger … With an intriguing mystery afoot, and a strong-willed, resilient heroine at the helm, this mythical maritime novel celebrates coming of age and growing into yourself.
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2021
3 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 12, 2024
Very cute and fun and I liked it a lot. HOWEVER. The characters kept using the words mermaid and selkie interchangeably and they are NOT. THE. SAME THING. Very, very different.
October 16, 2021
“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘. 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆.”
A middle school novel described as “Anne of Green Gables meets Song for a Whale with a touch of Nancy Drew?” I’m in! Meranda and the Legend of the Lake is a fun fantasy read set in a beautiful part of Nova Scotia.
When Meranda’s great-uncle dies, she and her parents must return to Cape Breton, a place where her grandparents live and she hasn’t been since she was three. Once they arrive, mysteries begin to unfold: was Mark’s death an accident? Why do strangers call Meranda a “miracle baby?” And why does everyone in town seem to be scared of the legend of the mermaids that live in the surrounding lake? Meranda and her new friend Claire begin to investigate, finding more answers then they thought possible…
I really liked that Meranda may have cerebal palsy, which adds an interesting dimension to the worries of the characters around her, but her physical abilities were celebrated, rather than seen as disabilities. She is a character that has boundless goals and accomplishments. Meagan Mahoney touches on many themes that I think middle schoolers can relate to, including feeling alone, feeling curious about the people around you, not wanting to be seen as fragile, and looking for support with family and friends. The merpeople (selkie) elements add a touch of whimsy and fantasy, while the mysteries behind Meranda’s family kept the narrative rolling. This book feels like a love letter to the beauty of Cape Breton too - it definitely touches on how special that part of Nova Scotia is.
I greatly enjoyed Meranda and the Legend of the Lake; I will definitely recommend it to my middle school students as a mystery-fantasy novel, with power of family at its heart. Thank you to OwlKids and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy!
A middle school novel described as “Anne of Green Gables meets Song for a Whale with a touch of Nancy Drew?” I’m in! Meranda and the Legend of the Lake is a fun fantasy read set in a beautiful part of Nova Scotia.
When Meranda’s great-uncle dies, she and her parents must return to Cape Breton, a place where her grandparents live and she hasn’t been since she was three. Once they arrive, mysteries begin to unfold: was Mark’s death an accident? Why do strangers call Meranda a “miracle baby?” And why does everyone in town seem to be scared of the legend of the mermaids that live in the surrounding lake? Meranda and her new friend Claire begin to investigate, finding more answers then they thought possible…
I really liked that Meranda may have cerebal palsy, which adds an interesting dimension to the worries of the characters around her, but her physical abilities were celebrated, rather than seen as disabilities. She is a character that has boundless goals and accomplishments. Meagan Mahoney touches on many themes that I think middle schoolers can relate to, including feeling alone, feeling curious about the people around you, not wanting to be seen as fragile, and looking for support with family and friends. The merpeople (selkie) elements add a touch of whimsy and fantasy, while the mysteries behind Meranda’s family kept the narrative rolling. This book feels like a love letter to the beauty of Cape Breton too - it definitely touches on how special that part of Nova Scotia is.
I greatly enjoyed Meranda and the Legend of the Lake; I will definitely recommend it to my middle school students as a mystery-fantasy novel, with power of family at its heart. Thank you to OwlKids and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy!
February 1, 2024
This book is about a girl named Meranda. Meranda was born in Cape Breton and moved to Calgary when she was a toddler. She lives with her Mum and Dad and has to suddenly go back to Cape Breton when something tragic happened to her great uncle, who is a fisherman.
I really enjoyed reading this book because you could see visualize the scene in the book by reading it from the main character’s perspective (the book is written from the main character's perspective).
I really enjoyed reading this book because you could see visualize the scene in the book by reading it from the main character’s perspective (the book is written from the main character's perspective).
October 19, 2021
10/19/2021 3.5 stars. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
10/19/2021 Meranda is an 11 year-old girl whose parents moved away from their Nova Scotia home and close-knit family to live in Calgary when she was only 3. While she has regular video visits with her dearly loved relatives back in Cape Breton, her helicopter parents have always been cagey about returning, until the death of her mother's beloved Uncle Mark sends them all home for his funeral.
Meranda has long been fascinated with her hometown, whose main claim to fame is its relationship with the mermaids who allegedly live in the surrounding waters. But her mother Beth is extremely nervous about her getting too close to the lake, and perhaps not just because Meranda uses crutches to get around, a result of the cerebral palsy that makes her legs difficult to rely on. Meranda's also painfully near-sighted, using thick glasses to help her see; between that and the fact that her coloring is completely different from her parents, she can't help but suspect that she has closer ties to a mermaid heritage than her parents are willing to let on.
Unfortunately, this is only one of the many things her parents don't care to discuss with her, and so Meranda spends the days leading up to Granduncle Mark's funeral feeling increasingly confused by the weird reactions, if not downright hostility, of some of the townsfolk to their return. Fortunately, she makes a friend, Claire, who's willing to help her get to the bottom of things, with perhaps the foremost issue being the mystery of what actually happened to Granduncle Mark. Did he really fall overboard from his ship or was he pulled into the waters and drowned by the lake's increasingly combative merfolk, as some are claiming? It'll be up to Meranda to figure out what's going on, in the process helping her family's small town find peace with its own mythic legacy.
First and foremost, I loved the disability rep in this middle grade book. It's wonderful to see a brave, resourceful heroine with cerebral palsy who isn't some sort of saint. Meranda gets justifiably irritated and angry when she feels left out or behind because of her disability, but is also realistic about her own limitations, having a much better gauge on them than the people around her.
The fantasy aspects of the book were also really well done: are merfolk real or a collective fancy? What really has Beth so nervous all the time? (Tho I did wonder at the interchangeable use of the term "merfolk" with "selkie" as I always thought those were two completely different things.) The pacing of the mystery is just right for middle grade readers, and touches on deep and important issues without being too overwhelming for its young audience. Kids who love mermaids will adore this book, which will definitely also strike a chord with any disabled reader whose parents' attempts at protecting them wound up making them feel excluded from their own families instead.
Meranda And The Legend Of The Lake by Meagan Mahoney was published September 15 2021 by Owlkids Press and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
10/19/2021 Meranda is an 11 year-old girl whose parents moved away from their Nova Scotia home and close-knit family to live in Calgary when she was only 3. While she has regular video visits with her dearly loved relatives back in Cape Breton, her helicopter parents have always been cagey about returning, until the death of her mother's beloved Uncle Mark sends them all home for his funeral.
Meranda has long been fascinated with her hometown, whose main claim to fame is its relationship with the mermaids who allegedly live in the surrounding waters. But her mother Beth is extremely nervous about her getting too close to the lake, and perhaps not just because Meranda uses crutches to get around, a result of the cerebral palsy that makes her legs difficult to rely on. Meranda's also painfully near-sighted, using thick glasses to help her see; between that and the fact that her coloring is completely different from her parents, she can't help but suspect that she has closer ties to a mermaid heritage than her parents are willing to let on.
Unfortunately, this is only one of the many things her parents don't care to discuss with her, and so Meranda spends the days leading up to Granduncle Mark's funeral feeling increasingly confused by the weird reactions, if not downright hostility, of some of the townsfolk to their return. Fortunately, she makes a friend, Claire, who's willing to help her get to the bottom of things, with perhaps the foremost issue being the mystery of what actually happened to Granduncle Mark. Did he really fall overboard from his ship or was he pulled into the waters and drowned by the lake's increasingly combative merfolk, as some are claiming? It'll be up to Meranda to figure out what's going on, in the process helping her family's small town find peace with its own mythic legacy.
First and foremost, I loved the disability rep in this middle grade book. It's wonderful to see a brave, resourceful heroine with cerebral palsy who isn't some sort of saint. Meranda gets justifiably irritated and angry when she feels left out or behind because of her disability, but is also realistic about her own limitations, having a much better gauge on them than the people around her.
The fantasy aspects of the book were also really well done: are merfolk real or a collective fancy? What really has Beth so nervous all the time? (Tho I did wonder at the interchangeable use of the term "merfolk" with "selkie" as I always thought those were two completely different things.) The pacing of the mystery is just right for middle grade readers, and touches on deep and important issues without being too overwhelming for its young audience. Kids who love mermaids will adore this book, which will definitely also strike a chord with any disabled reader whose parents' attempts at protecting them wound up making them feel excluded from their own families instead.
Meranda And The Legend Of The Lake by Meagan Mahoney was published September 15 2021 by Owlkids Press and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
August 10, 2022
I picked this one up searching for a mermaid fix after I finished another "mermaid" read and was disappointed there were no actual mermaids (not the case here, thankfully, this one delivers on that fantasy trope).
Meranda (see the similarity in her name to the word, "mermaid"?) is 11 and uses crutches to get around. Her legs are weak from cerebral palsy, and her parents are staunchly against her getting near water. Her mom, an ER doc, thinks it's too dangerous.
That's not all, unfortunately. Her mom has cause to worry. There was a near-drowning incident involving Meranda when she was little that involved a ferry that flipped over. Meranda was rescued, but the question is, by whom?
When Meranda's uncle, her mom's brother, dies, and the family has to go back to her mom's hometown for his funeral, Meranda starts to learn how her uncle claimed -- in this and other incidents that occurred to him and Meranda's various family members -- that there are actual mermaids living in the town's lake. And there's quite a bit of resentment toward them because the uncle supposedly drowned while at sea. The town thinks mermaids killed him.
A book of tales seems to confirm the existence of mermaids, and Meranda begins to wonder…what if she's a mermaid, too? And that's why her legs are so weak and her parents want to keep her away from the lake? Because if she fell in the lake's waters, she'd magically grow a fish tail?
I'm not going to reveal what happens. You'll have to read to find out. And how!
I loved the twist at the end. Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Meranda (see the similarity in her name to the word, "mermaid"?) is 11 and uses crutches to get around. Her legs are weak from cerebral palsy, and her parents are staunchly against her getting near water. Her mom, an ER doc, thinks it's too dangerous.
That's not all, unfortunately. Her mom has cause to worry. There was a near-drowning incident involving Meranda when she was little that involved a ferry that flipped over. Meranda was rescued, but the question is, by whom?
When Meranda's uncle, her mom's brother, dies, and the family has to go back to her mom's hometown for his funeral, Meranda starts to learn how her uncle claimed -- in this and other incidents that occurred to him and Meranda's various family members -- that there are actual mermaids living in the town's lake. And there's quite a bit of resentment toward them because the uncle supposedly drowned while at sea. The town thinks mermaids killed him.
A book of tales seems to confirm the existence of mermaids, and Meranda begins to wonder…what if she's a mermaid, too? And that's why her legs are so weak and her parents want to keep her away from the lake? Because if she fell in the lake's waters, she'd magically grow a fish tail?
I'm not going to reveal what happens. You'll have to read to find out. And how!
I loved the twist at the end. Enjoy!
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
June 6, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley! Meranda, uses crutches, but that is not what defines her. She is a well-written and full character, not a caricature of a handicapped person. She is relatable and her legs and crutches are mentioned, but in a normal and descriptive way that really helps bring life to her character and adds to why her mother has so many insecurities and fears when it comes to keeping her daughter safe. Meranda is crying out for freedom and independence that her family is very hesitant to give. This novel is really excellent at describing the family dynamics as well as the scenery. The quick chapters make for an easy and enjoyable read. As the story unfolds, a more sinister and farfetched reality comes to light. Will Meranda gain independence? Will she find out the truth of her family and their secrets? I enjoyed this cute story.
April 14, 2022
I have the privilege of working with the author in real life and she is a wonderfully compassionate and competent doctor, so I may be biased in my opinion, but I truly enjoyed this book. I loved that the main character has a disability and this was portrayed very honestly (both the struggles and strengths). I wasn’t sure about the whimsy (fantasy?) of the mermaids when I started the book, but I was drawn in and truly wasn’t sure if it would turn out to be a fable or a reality. Loved it and would definitely recommend.
March 10, 2022
It took me a bit to warm up to this book but I really and truly enjoyed it. I think it truly captures a real Canadian experience of coming from a landlocked province to the Maritime provinces. The author does a really good job of capturing that small town, east coast feel (fish and gossip, all day everyday). What started out as a well-written bildungsroman about a first family tragedy and family secrets, turns slowly into a deep and satisfying exploration of local lore. I loved the small touches of magic scattered throughout that breathe life into the moment when the mermaids are revealed to be real.
I think kids will really identify with the idea of being kept from family secrets and the anger Meranda feels at being the only one excluded from understanding what's going on. Adding to that experience is her dealing with accepting her disability in a new place that is not as accommodating/ used to it. Forcing the reader to go through the same journey of wondering whether Meranda is a mermaid to accepting that she is just who she is supposed to be is a great way to put the reader in someone else's place that they may not always be comfortable thinking about.
I do wish the explanation of the town's myths/lore around the mermaid's protection/removal of protection were explained more than "Meranda looked at them with fresh eyes and found logical conclusions"
I think kids will really identify with the idea of being kept from family secrets and the anger Meranda feels at being the only one excluded from understanding what's going on. Adding to that experience is her dealing with accepting her disability in a new place that is not as accommodating/ used to it. Forcing the reader to go through the same journey of wondering whether Meranda is a mermaid to accepting that she is just who she is supposed to be is a great way to put the reader in someone else's place that they may not always be comfortable thinking about.
I do wish the explanation of the town's myths/lore around the mermaid's protection/removal of protection were explained more than "Meranda looked at them with fresh eyes and found logical conclusions"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2021
Meranda and her family return to the town she was born in after the tragic death of her great uncle. The town is known for mermaids and tourists come to try to catch a glimpse or take some time living among the folklore. However, things have been going wrong for the town and many think that the mermaids have turned against them.
I loved Meranda. She was a very well written and developed character. She has cerebral palsy and her parents are always hovering over her. Meranda's disability is shown throughout the book and included in the story as a normal part of her character. They were shown positively throughout the book. I loved the central themes of this book, which included themes directed towards parents of disabled children. The writing is great and descriptive. I also loved getting to know the other characters featured in this book.
I would like to thank Owlkids for providing me with an ARC.
I loved Meranda. She was a very well written and developed character. She has cerebral palsy and her parents are always hovering over her. Meranda's disability is shown throughout the book and included in the story as a normal part of her character. They were shown positively throughout the book. I loved the central themes of this book, which included themes directed towards parents of disabled children. The writing is great and descriptive. I also loved getting to know the other characters featured in this book.
I would like to thank Owlkids for providing me with an ARC.
July 1, 2022
75%
* I had mixed feelings about the ending: I think the former outweighs the latter, though, and sends an important message.
* Loved that
* It made the concept of living in Canada sound quite lovely, which isn't usually the light stories taking place in Canada are put in. They always make Canada sound so dreary and focus on the cold, instead of everything that makes Canada wonderful.
* I had mixed feelings about the ending: I think the former outweighs the latter, though, and sends an important message.
* Loved that
* It made the concept of living in Canada sound quite lovely, which isn't usually the light stories taking place in Canada are put in. They always make Canada sound so dreary and focus on the cold, instead of everything that makes Canada wonderful.
April 16, 2023
Wonderful, charming, and absolutely perfect! I loved this book and can't wait to read it to my Littles. The main character, Meranda, is strong, determined, clever, and kind. When Meranda returns to the small fishing town she last saw when she was only three, she is confronted with a mystery. Her family won't talk about what happened all those years ago or explain why everyone in town calls Meranda a "Miracle Baby." Determined to find answers. Meranda and her new friend Claire set out to find answers. This book has mystery, magic, friendship, and family wrapped inside a beautiful tale to be read and reread for generations.
July 20, 2021
This book was interesting. While it had a lot of great surface characteristics (mermaids!), it never dove deeper. The events felt rushed and were never developed in a satisfying way. The grand conclusion wasn't so grand. However, the writing was enjoyable and the main character was easy to root for. In the end, I can't really see myself recommending this to anyone... The world was lush, the characters vibrant, but everything else? Not so much. #netgalley
March 18, 2022
I picked this up because it was a local author who wrote about a maritime town, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! Meranda is so well developed, and the town of Skye is so beautifully described. The plot was full of twists and turns and the whole book was written with a wonderful passion. I would absolutely recommend this amazing book to anyone, but kids age 8-13 would simply fall in love with the mermaid-filled tale.
December 8, 2023
Great book. Ms. Mahoney writes a clear, fast paced story about a young girl with limited use of her legs and an over worried mom. Meranda finds some answers when she goes back to her birthplace with her parents for a funeral. Meranda comes across as tough and more able than she's been given credit for. Definitely a good read.
***I received this from the author and Owlkids Publishing in exchange for a fair review.***
***I received this from the author and Owlkids Publishing in exchange for a fair review.***
March 21, 2025
I really loved this book up until the end. Everything seamed so real and practical up until the final two chapters when they actually see mermaids come to shore. I felt the text captured the many emotions of the different characters and I loved the whole motive behind the plot. Everything seemed like a real world event, except for the very end which was a downer for me. I wish the mermaids remained as myths
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2022
What a fun and cute mystery! Eleven-year-old, Meranda, doesn't realize how much her family has kept from her until she returns to a place she hardly remembers. Not only does she learn about her family legacy but she also learns about the legends of the lake. Could the legends of mermaids really be true?!
October 14, 2022
This bool has been in my to be read pile for weeks, finally got to it and so glad I did! As a middle grade teacher, I will be using this as a novel study book!! Beautiful characters, suspenseful plot, but what pulled me in is the personality Meagan Mahoney gives the small town of Skye!! Definitely recommend this!!
October 10, 2023
When her uncle dies, eleven year old Meranda and her parents return to the East Coast. The small fishing village is everything Meranda had imagined it to be but it doesn't take long for her to become entangled in family secrets, rumors of a suspicious death, and years of mermaids lore. With help from a new friend, Meranda discovers the truth about her past but nearly dies in doing so.
November 24, 2021
Meranda is a strong young protagonist. She doesn't let her weakened legs stop her from growing up and learning the truth about her family home. I loved following the mystery as it unfolded. Very quick and sweet read about family, and mermaids.
February 8, 2023
This was a cute book for elementary school kids. It takes place in a small town in Nova Scotia in a town that centres around Mermaids and magic. It's was a great book for kids who love a little mystery and magic when reading.
February 5, 2022
I didn’t love this and thought it was slow. I’m also not an eleven year old, so maybe that’s it. Meh.
February 17, 2022
I really wanted her to actually be a mermaid at the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2022
This is the best book I have ever read!!! It is very suspenseful and I love how it is set in Canada!!! You should definitely get it!!!
June 14, 2022
Full review on my youtube channel but I absolutely loved this book! Though slow in the beginning, it soon had me hooked until the end!
October 14, 2022
A wonderful tale!
November 19, 2022
A good first book by a new author. An enjoyable even in its predictability.
February 2, 2023
Realistic fantasy mystery about a town steeped in mermaid legends, uncovering family secrets of a girl with cerebral palsy, and solving the suspicious death of her grandmother's brother.
March 10, 2023
Family secrets are real and sometimes we have to remember it’s ok to tell our kids the whole stories so they understand their history.
August 6, 2023
4⭐️ Such à beautiful story and told in a different way than so many involving mermaids. Amazing lessons and truths (fantasy too!)
July 14, 2024
Fun book to read with Phoebe, set in her beloved Canada.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews