What do you think?
Rate this book
Water Tales #2
Indigo
Three friends in search of a place to belong find that home is truly where the heart is in this new tale of enchantment from master storyteller Alice Hoffman.
13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died, she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father with food and opinions about how 13-year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Grove and travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove. Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, they long to see the ocean.
13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died, she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father with food and opinions about how 13-year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Grove and travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove. Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, they long to see the ocean.
Audible Audio
First published April 1, 2002
62 people are currently reading
2551 people want to read
About the author
Alice Hoffman
117 books25.1k followersAlice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
February 16, 2021
3.5 stars. A short, clever tale about two young half humans/half mermen. It was very cute and uplifting.
July 25, 2011
I wanted to like this, but I thought that the author tried to do too many things in too short of a book and it came out jumpy and disjointed. It is a very quick read (even for YA books), so perfectly worth it if you are interested in the concept. However, while I felt like I was shown some brief flashes of insights into characters/back stories/etc, they never followed through. I was left feeling like I walked through the middle of a conversation and never understood what was really happening.
October 14, 2019
The McGill brothers – Trevor and Eli – and their friend Martha Glimmer all dream of the sea in a town that disapproves of water. They decide to leave dry Oak Grove and run away to the ocean, but a surprising turn of events brings the water to them, while also revealing the secret of the brothers’ true parentage.
Hoffman returns to the theme of mythological sea creatures in her second novella for children, this time exploring the story of human-merpeople interaction from the perspective of two stranded mer-boys. While this sounds good in theory, I found Indigo as flat and uninspiring as the earlier Aquamarine , and simply couldn’t work up much interest in the story, or characters.
Hoffman returns to the theme of mythological sea creatures in her second novella for children, this time exploring the story of human-merpeople interaction from the perspective of two stranded mer-boys. While this sounds good in theory, I found Indigo as flat and uninspiring as the earlier Aquamarine , and simply couldn’t work up much interest in the story, or characters.
August 8, 2009
More like a long, mediocre short story about discovering who you are, despite what society or parents try to mold you into. It was okay, and the reason I'll keep it in my classroom library and maybe recommend it to a reluctant, low-level reader, is that they would be able to get through it, which may inspire them to keep reading novels. It's nothing that will change anyone's life, though.
A bit of fantasy in an unrealistic story that is supposed to seem realistic.
A bit of fantasy in an unrealistic story that is supposed to seem realistic.
April 25, 2020
2.5 stars
Rating this based on my enjoyment of the book rather than her writing. Maybe I would have enjoyed it if I was the target audience, but anyway, it was a quick, light read and now I've finished my first book for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!
Rating this based on my enjoyment of the book rather than her writing. Maybe I would have enjoyed it if I was the target audience, but anyway, it was a quick, light read and now I've finished my first book for Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!
July 4, 2024
3/5⭐️
0/5🌶️
🌊But try as you might to protect people from danger, you cannot keep them from their true nature.🌊
🧜🏻♀️🧜🏻♂️Alas, another book read for work LOL. It was short and sweet and fantastical.
We have two brothers who were adopted and brought to the driest town, like ever! Since the flood, these people avoid water at all costs… they even drain the town lake!!
But when these boys, (“Trout” and “Eel”), feel a call from the ocean and have webbing between their fingers and toes, they really feel like a fish out of water!
As you read this shorty but cutie book, you’ll watch these two boys discover who they truly are in the most heartwarming way!🧜🏻♂️🧜🏻♀️
0/5🌶️
🌊But try as you might to protect people from danger, you cannot keep them from their true nature.🌊
🧜🏻♀️🧜🏻♂️Alas, another book read for work LOL. It was short and sweet and fantastical.
We have two brothers who were adopted and brought to the driest town, like ever! Since the flood, these people avoid water at all costs… they even drain the town lake!!
But when these boys, (“Trout” and “Eel”), feel a call from the ocean and have webbing between their fingers and toes, they really feel like a fish out of water!
As you read this shorty but cutie book, you’ll watch these two boys discover who they truly are in the most heartwarming way!🧜🏻♂️🧜🏻♀️
March 25, 2018
This was a short quick novella written for the YA audience. It's about dreams, family, & friendship, as well as mermaid magic. It hooks you quick, & teaches the very valuable lesson, be who you ARE. Embrace your individuality, what is special about yourself. Those who love you will treasure it.
August 13, 2022
I did not realize Alice Hoffman wrote for Scholastic or that she had written Aquamarine. This is the second of the two Water Tales books. I found it thrifting for Little Free Library donations and decided to read first. A cute, punny little story.
February 17, 2019
Indigo By:Alice Hoffman
The book Indigo by Alice Hoffman is a fiction story, The main character in the story is Martha,and the story is how martha braly moved to oak grove and she dislikes it,I recommend this book if you like mysterious,cool books.
The book Indigo by Alice Hoffman is a fiction story, The main character in the story is Martha,and the story is how martha braly moved to oak grove and she dislikes it,I recommend this book if you like mysterious,cool books.
June 14, 2020
Cute follow up to Aquamarine with two boys as the focal characters
July 9, 2020
This story was so well written and beautiful! It reminded me of the Disney movie The Thirteenth Year. :)
November 20, 2021
A simple but cute story about a girl who is best friends with two boys that are far different from her.
July 17, 2025
Bailey Carr's narration made a simple story better!
July 28, 2025
younger me would have loved this book! older me wishes there was more of it! if this was a fully fleshed out book i would be entranced!
December 14, 2015
Personal Response:
I personally liked this book a lot. I loved the story line behind it. My favorite part was the end when the brothers saved the town. I only wished it was more detailed!
Plot Summary:
This book is about two brothers Trevor and Eli McGill and their best friend Martha Glimmer. The Boys nicknames are Trout and Eel for their quickness and the thin webbing between their fingers and toes. They live in a town called Oak Grove where every one dreads water unlike the brothers. The McGill brothers are obsessed with water; especially the Ocean. they dream of going to the sea like in their faded memories. The town once suffered a major flood that left everyone shook up. They even removed bathtubs from homes. Martha lives in this town too. She lives with her father. Martha and her father morns the death of Martha's mother who has passed recently. She decides to run away from her problems. She brings the brothers along to fulfill their dream of going to the ocean. Troubles happen along the way leading them not to go far from home. They will discover things about their past that they never knew along their journey.
Recommend:
I would recommend this book to girls and boys ages ranging 8-12. I rated this book four out of five stars because I would have liked it to be more detailed and more surprising at the end.
I personally liked this book a lot. I loved the story line behind it. My favorite part was the end when the brothers saved the town. I only wished it was more detailed!
Plot Summary:
This book is about two brothers Trevor and Eli McGill and their best friend Martha Glimmer. The Boys nicknames are Trout and Eel for their quickness and the thin webbing between their fingers and toes. They live in a town called Oak Grove where every one dreads water unlike the brothers. The McGill brothers are obsessed with water; especially the Ocean. they dream of going to the sea like in their faded memories. The town once suffered a major flood that left everyone shook up. They even removed bathtubs from homes. Martha lives in this town too. She lives with her father. Martha and her father morns the death of Martha's mother who has passed recently. She decides to run away from her problems. She brings the brothers along to fulfill their dream of going to the ocean. Troubles happen along the way leading them not to go far from home. They will discover things about their past that they never knew along their journey.
Recommend:
I would recommend this book to girls and boys ages ranging 8-12. I rated this book four out of five stars because I would have liked it to be more detailed and more surprising at the end.
March 13, 2008
I kept on reading when Aquamarine was finished in the book I have that has both stories. The quote "A real friend believes in you when you don't believe in yourself..." immediatly struck me. I'll keep reading. . . .
Two more quotes struck me this afternoon while reading:
"sometimes words spoken are the ones you've been afraid to think, but once they're said aloud there's no way to make them disappear."
"...of how hard it was to leave behind the people you loved, even if the life you wanted wasn't the one they could give you."
This book is about three friends- one girl and two brothers. The brothers are ridiculed and the girl is pitied because she has lost their mother. It is about what leads up to their decision to run away and what brings them back to their small town. Enjoyable with some very thought provoking sentences. Very short read.
Two more quotes struck me this afternoon while reading:
"sometimes words spoken are the ones you've been afraid to think, but once they're said aloud there's no way to make them disappear."
"...of how hard it was to leave behind the people you loved, even if the life you wanted wasn't the one they could give you."
This book is about three friends- one girl and two brothers. The brothers are ridiculed and the girl is pitied because she has lost their mother. It is about what leads up to their decision to run away and what brings them back to their small town. Enjoyable with some very thought provoking sentences. Very short read.
November 17, 2015
A really good friend sent me this last April because we are both huge water lovers! A really charming (short) children's book, I re-read this every so often just because :-)
"Oak Grove is a dry, dusty town haunted by memories of a past flood. Everyone dreads the water - except two brothers, Trevor and Eli McGill. Nicknamed Trout and Eel for their darting quickness and the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, the boys dream of the farthest seas of a mysterious past they barely remember.
Martha Glimmer, the boys' fierce and loyal friend, has her own reasons to help them reach their heats' desire. She is running away from her own memories - of her mother's death, of her father's grief, of the time before her heart was broken.
Little do Martha, Trout, and Eel know that running away will lead them on a journey back to their own, true natures...."
"Oak Grove is a dry, dusty town haunted by memories of a past flood. Everyone dreads the water - except two brothers, Trevor and Eli McGill. Nicknamed Trout and Eel for their darting quickness and the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, the boys dream of the farthest seas of a mysterious past they barely remember.
Martha Glimmer, the boys' fierce and loyal friend, has her own reasons to help them reach their heats' desire. She is running away from her own memories - of her mother's death, of her father's grief, of the time before her heart was broken.
Little do Martha, Trout, and Eel know that running away will lead them on a journey back to their own, true natures...."
November 8, 2021
We had to read this in fifth grade. My teacher was a lovely older woman who told me my essays were good and showed my mom, so I gave this a 2.5 in class because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. However, I couldn’t bring myself to read this seriously. I was an avid reader at the time, but I speed-read this book. The premise is good. I genuinely think that another author could’ve executed this amazingly. But this book is so boring! The mystery element is lazy, the characters are dreadfully one-sided, and the setting had no character. And get this: the characters who find out their parents are magical beings aren’t even the main characters! Why? Beats me. Eighty-or-so pages of wishing I never learned how to read.
May 26, 2025
Not even a short children's story could make me like Alice Hoffman's writing, yikes.
April 19, 2020
Read Before: Yes
Initial Memories/Impressions: I remember adoring this book in elementary school. I mean it's an age when all girls are obsessed with mermaids, right? I definitely was... probably has something to do with the fact that I spent a LOT of time at the pool (my dad taught scuba diving).
Obviously, I am reviewing this book as a children's book and the standards are different than a book targeted towards an older audience. I would say this book is most likely targeted for kids in elementary school, as I remember loving it in the 5th grade.
This book has a lot of great elements. One of the great things about children's books is that they can be as absurd as they want without any explanation. I mean that's kind of how kids think. This book does a good job of including those silly little absurdities that all kids enjoy reading about. Such as a dad who has such a big aversion to standing water, that his job is taking bathtubs out of people's houses and replacing them with showers.
I will say I think the book could've been a tad longer, even for a children's books. It is very fast paced, which is normal for the genre, but I think a few more details and expansions would not have stopped kids from being able to read it. Also, it's a bit predictable. Which for most kids isn't a huge problem, but I remember even for me as a kid I thought that it was a bit too predictable.
Would I read again? Probably not, unless reading it to a small child. However, it will remain on my bookshelf for posterity, and I would recommend it to any kiddos who have a fascination with mermaids.
Initial Memories/Impressions: I remember adoring this book in elementary school. I mean it's an age when all girls are obsessed with mermaids, right? I definitely was... probably has something to do with the fact that I spent a LOT of time at the pool (my dad taught scuba diving).
Obviously, I am reviewing this book as a children's book and the standards are different than a book targeted towards an older audience. I would say this book is most likely targeted for kids in elementary school, as I remember loving it in the 5th grade.
This book has a lot of great elements. One of the great things about children's books is that they can be as absurd as they want without any explanation. I mean that's kind of how kids think. This book does a good job of including those silly little absurdities that all kids enjoy reading about. Such as a dad who has such a big aversion to standing water, that his job is taking bathtubs out of people's houses and replacing them with showers.
I will say I think the book could've been a tad longer, even for a children's books. It is very fast paced, which is normal for the genre, but I think a few more details and expansions would not have stopped kids from being able to read it. Also, it's a bit predictable. Which for most kids isn't a huge problem, but I remember even for me as a kid I thought that it was a bit too predictable.
Would I read again? Probably not, unless reading it to a small child. However, it will remain on my bookshelf for posterity, and I would recommend it to any kiddos who have a fascination with mermaids.
March 31, 2018
I picked this for one of my 2018 reading challenges (favorite color in the title). I enjoy Hoffman's writing and chose this one without realizing it was a kid book. Needless to say it was a quick read.
I didn't know this was a 2nd book in a series, but I don't feel like I missed too much by not reading the first. Maybe I'll go back and find it just because. It took me less than an hour to read this one so it isn't like it would be time consuming to do so.
The story was sweet, but I feel like it would have been a better book if it had been longer and written for an older audience. I've seen some negative reviews and saying this was too short for a young adult novel, etc. I think the book was really written for younger grades. I think this is something my son would've liked in 3rd or 4th grade. While the characters were 11 and 13, kids tend to read books about older kids. Thinking back to the Hardy Boys as an example. They drive cars and motorcycles, but really the books weren't meant to be read by 16 year olds.
Back to the story. It was quick and wrapped up nicely. I think it just could've been a stronger story if it had gotten to be longer. I think there are still great things for parents and kids to discuss with the book - teasing, differences, loss, how fear can make even adults do some questionable things.
I didn't know this was a 2nd book in a series, but I don't feel like I missed too much by not reading the first. Maybe I'll go back and find it just because. It took me less than an hour to read this one so it isn't like it would be time consuming to do so.
The story was sweet, but I feel like it would have been a better book if it had been longer and written for an older audience. I've seen some negative reviews and saying this was too short for a young adult novel, etc. I think the book was really written for younger grades. I think this is something my son would've liked in 3rd or 4th grade. While the characters were 11 and 13, kids tend to read books about older kids. Thinking back to the Hardy Boys as an example. They drive cars and motorcycles, but really the books weren't meant to be read by 16 year olds.
Back to the story. It was quick and wrapped up nicely. I think it just could've been a stronger story if it had gotten to be longer. I think there are still great things for parents and kids to discuss with the book - teasing, differences, loss, how fear can make even adults do some questionable things.
March 29, 2021
My book is Indigo and the author is Alice Hoffman. Three best friends live in a small town named Oak Grove. It hasn’t rained there in years and the three best friends are sick of not seeing the ocean. Their names are Martha, Eel, and Trout, and they all lost their mother. Eel and Trout are siblings. They got so bored of Oak Grove they tried to sneak out and run to the ocean to “start a new life”. A storm came in a day after they left and they had to retreat back. After they came back almost everything was destroyed, they were so motivated to clean it up they all stayed back at Oak Grove.
One thing the reader did to make you keep reading was there was always something that came up in the story that made suspense for you to keep reading and not stop reading. At the start it was just describing all the characters and the setting and the more deeper you went in the book the more exciting it got.
I would rate this book a nice 8/10, I really enjoyed reading it and I could honestly read it again. I really liked that it never got bland at a point in the book, always had a good part in every single section of the book.
One thing the reader did to make you keep reading was there was always something that came up in the story that made suspense for you to keep reading and not stop reading. At the start it was just describing all the characters and the setting and the more deeper you went in the book the more exciting it got.
I would rate this book a nice 8/10, I really enjoyed reading it and I could honestly read it again. I really liked that it never got bland at a point in the book, always had a good part in every single section of the book.
June 3, 2025
Three friends in search of a place to belong find that home is truly where the heart is in this new tale of enchantment from best-selling master storyteller Alice Hoffman.
13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died, she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father with food and opinions about how 13 year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Grove and travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove. Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, they long to see the ocean. Together, Martha, Trout, and Eel are going to find the true meaning of home -- in very unexpected places.
I wanted to love this story. I think it would be a good book for someone to give a child who's about 9 or 10 years old. It's much too young for a YA book. It's okay but just not enough. It's only 84 pages long so would be a good child's book, maybe one for mom or dad to read for a bedtime story. Definitely not recommended for adults.
13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died, she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father with food and opinions about how 13 year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Grove and travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove. Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, they long to see the ocean. Together, Martha, Trout, and Eel are going to find the true meaning of home -- in very unexpected places.
I wanted to love this story. I think it would be a good book for someone to give a child who's about 9 or 10 years old. It's much too young for a YA book. It's okay but just not enough. It's only 84 pages long so would be a good child's book, maybe one for mom or dad to read for a bedtime story. Definitely not recommended for adults.
January 6, 2022
Another little gem by Alice Hoffman. I adore her magical writing. This is a tale of a town called Oak Grove, as far from the ocean as you can get & afraid of water after a huge flood. It is a dry & dusty town & Martha Glimmer, sad & lonely after her mother's death, wants to leave & visit the beautiful cities where her mother lived--San Francisco, Paris, New York. Her two best friends, the McGill brothers, feel the same--as if they don't belong in Oak Grove. They long for the ocean, but their loving parents, who adopted them while on a vacation in Ocean City where they tried to save the boys' mother from drowning but failed, fear losing them to water & keep a close eye on them. Together, Martha & the boys decide to leave Oak Grove & follow their dreams, but a huge rainstorm & flood drives them back home where the boys must use their underwater swimmng skills to save Oak Grove from drowning. This is a beautiful little tale of friendship & sacrifice & love. I enjoyed it.
June 17, 2019
This was a quick and engaging read that focuses on friendship, grieving, and finding yourself. Martha is dealing with the death of her father, and Trout and Eel are adopted and don't really remember their birth parents. Martha dreams of becoming a dancer and leaving Oak Grove behind. Trout and Eel dream of water and seeing the ocean. One night, the three friends decide to runaway (or as they view it run to) the ocean but a terrible storm hits the same night.
I enjoyed the pace of the book. The voice was easy to read and engaging. The characters' conflicts are something that the reader can connect with. The story helps the reader remember that you don't always know what others are going through and that we all deal with grief in different ways. There is also a strong theme about loyalty and friendship throughout the story line.
I enjoyed the pace of the book. The voice was easy to read and engaging. The characters' conflicts are something that the reader can connect with. The story helps the reader remember that you don't always know what others are going through and that we all deal with grief in different ways. There is also a strong theme about loyalty and friendship throughout the story line.
May 9, 2025
Read this to my students.
I liked the descriptions and some of the characters.
I kind of had a feeling there was a reason the McGills wanted to keep Trout and Eel away from the water.
I liked that it was like subtle fantasy, like you did not really know the mom was a mermaid until close to the end of the book.
It was written well, I think, although a bit predictable but maybe that's cause I'm an adult and not in 5th grade haha.
I enjoyed it. It wasn't too simple the way some middle grade books are written, and I personally remember really enjoying Aquamarine when that book came out.
______
I couldn't give a review of what my students thought, but I know most of them enjoyed it. Our first book we read at the beginning of the year was Goosebumps so this was definitely a different vibe.
I liked the descriptions and some of the characters.
I kind of had a feeling there was a reason the McGills wanted to keep Trout and Eel away from the water.
I liked that it was like subtle fantasy, like you did not really know the mom was a mermaid until close to the end of the book.
It was written well, I think, although a bit predictable but maybe that's cause I'm an adult and not in 5th grade haha.
I enjoyed it. It wasn't too simple the way some middle grade books are written, and I personally remember really enjoying Aquamarine when that book came out.
______
I couldn't give a review of what my students thought, but I know most of them enjoyed it. Our first book we read at the beginning of the year was Goosebumps so this was definitely a different vibe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2024
This is a short and sweet tale of three friends trying to find a place where they belong. It is set in the mythical town of Oak Grove, which has been walled off from water because of a devastating flood several years prior. Thirteen year-old Martha Glimmer and her friends Trevor McGill and his younger brother Eli live in this small town nowhere near the sea that the boys so long to return to. I don't want to go into too much detail as it is such a quick read and I could easily give away the entire tale. I will say their relationship is beautify described as one of love with a bit of weirdness wrapped in. Give this one a try. It's a quick read and one I really enjoyed.
January 7, 2018
This is the kind of book you read in the middle of the night because you don't have to think and it's just a pleasant little book. Not boring at all. Great characters. Makes you want to go swimming and make a difference in the world, even your own little world, if not the big ol' world. Makes you appreciate the little weirdnesses everybody has that make us "different" or "weird" and wonder how you would be if you had this characteristic or that, and what you would do with them if you did have them.
May 12, 2019
This book is written for students younger than 8th grade. I gave it to my granddaughter - a 4th grader. She perused it and was not interested in reading it because of all the proper names that were in the story. I am a big Alice Hoffman fan and really enjoy the books she writes that for young adults. There is a lot in the story about being true to oneself, finding your niche, surviving grief, etc. Due to its brevity though, it seems like a quick first draft of a book or short story that could be developed into something more.
July 23, 2021
i didn't give 2 shots about this book. u didn't get to care for any characters because it was so fucking short. if y have a story then either develop it more and make it a longer book that people can get into or just don't write a book at all. ok that sounded harsh but honestly this was just way to short. and like most of the time in my reviews i write some of my favorite characters but in this i can't even do that bc u don't get to know anyone's personality at all. i just didn't see the point in this book at all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews