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The Louisiana Girls Trilogy #3
Bayou Magic
A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist.
It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within.
It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2015
87 people are currently reading
4281 people want to read
About the author
Jewell Parker Rhodes
36 books1,546 followersJewell Parker Rhodes has always loved reading and writing stories. Born and raised in Manchester, a largely African-American neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, she was a voracious reader as a child. She began college as a dance major, but when she discovered there were novels by African Americans, she knew she wanted to be an author. She wrote six novels for adults, two writing guides, and a memoir, but writing for children remained her dream.
Now she is the author of eleven books for youth including the New York Times bestsellers Will's Race for Home, Ghost Boys and Black Brother, Black Brother. Her other books include Soul Step, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold, Paradise on Fire, Towers Falling, and the Louisiana Girls Trilogy: Ninth Ward, Sugar, and Bayou Magic. She has also published six adult novels, two writing guides, and a memoir.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the American Book Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, a Coretta Scott King Honor Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and the Octavia E. Butler Award.
When she’s not writing, she’s visiting schools to talk about her books with the kids who read them, or teaching writing at Arizona State University, where she is the Piper Endowed Chair and Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.
Now she is the author of eleven books for youth including the New York Times bestsellers Will's Race for Home, Ghost Boys and Black Brother, Black Brother. Her other books include Soul Step, Treasure Island: Runaway Gold, Paradise on Fire, Towers Falling, and the Louisiana Girls Trilogy: Ninth Ward, Sugar, and Bayou Magic. She has also published six adult novels, two writing guides, and a memoir.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the American Book Award, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, a Coretta Scott King Honor Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and the Octavia E. Butler Award.
When she’s not writing, she’s visiting schools to talk about her books with the kids who read them, or teaching writing at Arizona State University, where she is the Piper Endowed Chair and Founding Artistic Director of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
July 12, 2020
Content Warnings: child abuse, alcoholism, death of animals
4.5 Stars. I wasn't expecting the book that I read. Bayou Magic, in my opinion, was going to be a middle grade novel that talked a little bit about magic. I was so wrong. I was so unbelievably wrong. Bayou Magic is centered around a little girl by the name of Maddy who has about 4/5 other sisters. Each sister has been required to spend a summer with their grandmother in the Bayou. Every year each girl comes back and reports different things about the oddness of their grandmother's behavior. However, it's early on that Maddy realizes that her experience with her grandmother will be different. Unlike her sisters, Maddy exhibits qualities reminiscent of special/magical abilities. By spending time with her grandmother she knows that she'll be able to learn more about these abilities/powers.
I think what I enjoyed most about this novel was Rhodes' ability to weave in particularly important aspects of Western African myths regarding mermaids as well as some key points regarding environmentalism. This novel comes across as whimsical, but really packs a punch regarding these topics. It took me a while to get through this book not because it was boring or too hard to read, but because I kept spending so much time looking up different things from Mami Wata to Deepwater Horizon. This book has respect for both the past and presents and Maddy learns some important things about her family lineage which includes understanding parts of the Transatlantic slave trade and the emotional and mental toll it took on her family. Honestly, even as I'm typing this review I'm still in awe about the amount of things that I learned from this book. There are truly middle grade novels that deserve more respect and recognition and this is one of them.
I also loved the relationship between Maddy and her grandmother. It reminded me so much of the relationship that I had with my great-grandmother. There's this unspoken fondness where neither character has to say that they love or care about the other. It's so obvious in the quality time that they spend together. That's not to say that it isn't ever stated; however, they have this peaceful shared energy that made my heart smile and miss my great-grandmother.
I couldn't give this book a full five stars because it failed to address a situation between an adult and a child in a way that I think was appropriate. It's brief; however, I think that Rhodes could have done just a little more. I would also like to note that Rhodes' writing in this novel is "clipped." Staccato is the only word that comes to mind to describe it. I know that this writing style may not appeal to everyone, but I found it to fit perfectly with the context of the story. Overall, this novel was so amazing and I can't wait to dive more into Rhodes' work especially Ninth Ward which was written about Hurricane Katrina.
4.5 Stars. I wasn't expecting the book that I read. Bayou Magic, in my opinion, was going to be a middle grade novel that talked a little bit about magic. I was so wrong. I was so unbelievably wrong. Bayou Magic is centered around a little girl by the name of Maddy who has about 4/5 other sisters. Each sister has been required to spend a summer with their grandmother in the Bayou. Every year each girl comes back and reports different things about the oddness of their grandmother's behavior. However, it's early on that Maddy realizes that her experience with her grandmother will be different. Unlike her sisters, Maddy exhibits qualities reminiscent of special/magical abilities. By spending time with her grandmother she knows that she'll be able to learn more about these abilities/powers.
I think what I enjoyed most about this novel was Rhodes' ability to weave in particularly important aspects of Western African myths regarding mermaids as well as some key points regarding environmentalism. This novel comes across as whimsical, but really packs a punch regarding these topics. It took me a while to get through this book not because it was boring or too hard to read, but because I kept spending so much time looking up different things from Mami Wata to Deepwater Horizon. This book has respect for both the past and presents and Maddy learns some important things about her family lineage which includes understanding parts of the Transatlantic slave trade and the emotional and mental toll it took on her family. Honestly, even as I'm typing this review I'm still in awe about the amount of things that I learned from this book. There are truly middle grade novels that deserve more respect and recognition and this is one of them.
I also loved the relationship between Maddy and her grandmother. It reminded me so much of the relationship that I had with my great-grandmother. There's this unspoken fondness where neither character has to say that they love or care about the other. It's so obvious in the quality time that they spend together. That's not to say that it isn't ever stated; however, they have this peaceful shared energy that made my heart smile and miss my great-grandmother.
I couldn't give this book a full five stars because it failed to address a situation between an adult and a child in a way that I think was appropriate. It's brief; however, I think that Rhodes could have done just a little more. I would also like to note that Rhodes' writing in this novel is "clipped." Staccato is the only word that comes to mind to describe it. I know that this writing style may not appeal to everyone, but I found it to fit perfectly with the context of the story. Overall, this novel was so amazing and I can't wait to dive more into Rhodes' work especially Ninth Ward which was written about Hurricane Katrina.
December 13, 2016
Beautiful magical realism full of rich family relationships, strong women and girls, and beautiful writing. It isn't fast-paced, but it is luscious! I looooved dipping into it a bit at a time, and I always came out of each reading session feeling better about the world.
June 14, 2020
It was a fun story about nature and the environment!
April 20, 2015
I have fallen in love with Jewell Parker Rhodes' MG books. Such a brilliant author, combining magic, family, mystery, nature, tragedy, and humor in her incredibly written books. Bayou Magic was just that: magic. I was caught in its spell from the moment I turned the first page.
September 2, 2015
I read about this book in an issue of School Library Journal and immediately went to NetGalley to request it then to up my odds I also entered to win an eGalley of it. Yep, I wanted this book. :D I liked what the author, Rhodes, had to say in the article, and the mix of fantasy and folklore plus it featured a heroine who wasn't your basic white middle-class American seen so often in children's books and that includes the books that I review. And look at that cover, it's so joyful. Stacking the odds paid off as I was approved and I won an eGalley. :D
So, after all that hype, hype which I usually run from, was the book All That? Well, it's not one I'll likely read again but it kept me reading. I was about halfway or so through the book before I realized that not a whole lot had actually happened yet. "Bayou Magic" very much a character driven story though near the end the action picks up and drives the remainder of the story. I was engaged, curious, and involved. I wanted to know if Maddy and her grandmother truly had magic, were there really mermaids in the Louisiana bayou and I loved that I learned, quite a bit actually, including the fact that mermaid stories are much more global than I ever realized. Rhodes, just like Maddy's grandmere, lays a foundation, building the story bit by bit, working up to the final lessons and Maddy's test. By the time the action begins, we pretty much know what's going to happen but how it gets resolved and how Maddy rises to the challenge are worth the read, they're the pay off.
The messages in the book - family, friendship, hope, faith, the perils of pride, and stewardship of the earth - are not subtle and any pretense of subtly is thrown out the window towards the end of the story. While I agree with the messages, I wish Rhodes had been less overt and let readers come to their own conclusions. Still, the story is one worth reading.
Tweens and young teens will be able to relate to Maddy's insecurities, her seemingly contradictory desires to be both special and just a regular girl. She gains confidence during her summer with her grandmere and discovers that she can make a difference. Her friendship with local boy Bear enriches her summer and teaches her a valuable lesson, as well as her grandmere too. What child hasn't wished they could teach a grownup something? Maddy was shy, smart, courageous, compassionate, and eager to learn, eager to find the magic around her.
"Bayou Magic" wasn't quite magical for me and the magic in the story is mostly subtle but it's a delightful story for children and adults alike.
There were several good quotes so rather than choose one I'm sharing several.
In this one, Maddy's grandmere is singing a lullaby and Maddy translates it into English:
Something like: "Sleep, little one. A crab will eat you if you don't." A bogeyman lullaby. Why do grown-ups like to scare kids to sleep?
Why do grown-ups do that? SMH
In New Orleans, lots I didn't know. Wasn't much I needed to know.
Eat. Sleep. Go to school. Pay attention to traffic lights, rules. Don't irritate my sisters. Get hugs and kisses from Ma and Pa.
Maybe the whole world is one big puzzle, and I just didn't know it. I only know in the bayou, my feelings are stronger. Sensitive.
I feel-know-something's wrong and Grandmere's not telling.
This last one is so true.
In real life, it's hard to be a hero. Bad things happen and you can't fix everything yourself. You need good friends and hope.
So, after all that hype, hype which I usually run from, was the book All That? Well, it's not one I'll likely read again but it kept me reading. I was about halfway or so through the book before I realized that not a whole lot had actually happened yet. "Bayou Magic" very much a character driven story though near the end the action picks up and drives the remainder of the story. I was engaged, curious, and involved. I wanted to know if Maddy and her grandmother truly had magic, were there really mermaids in the Louisiana bayou and I loved that I learned, quite a bit actually, including the fact that mermaid stories are much more global than I ever realized. Rhodes, just like Maddy's grandmere, lays a foundation, building the story bit by bit, working up to the final lessons and Maddy's test. By the time the action begins, we pretty much know what's going to happen but how it gets resolved and how Maddy rises to the challenge are worth the read, they're the pay off.
The messages in the book - family, friendship, hope, faith, the perils of pride, and stewardship of the earth - are not subtle and any pretense of subtly is thrown out the window towards the end of the story. While I agree with the messages, I wish Rhodes had been less overt and let readers come to their own conclusions. Still, the story is one worth reading.
Tweens and young teens will be able to relate to Maddy's insecurities, her seemingly contradictory desires to be both special and just a regular girl. She gains confidence during her summer with her grandmere and discovers that she can make a difference. Her friendship with local boy Bear enriches her summer and teaches her a valuable lesson, as well as her grandmere too. What child hasn't wished they could teach a grownup something? Maddy was shy, smart, courageous, compassionate, and eager to learn, eager to find the magic around her.
"Bayou Magic" wasn't quite magical for me and the magic in the story is mostly subtle but it's a delightful story for children and adults alike.
There were several good quotes so rather than choose one I'm sharing several.
In this one, Maddy's grandmere is singing a lullaby and Maddy translates it into English:
Something like: "Sleep, little one. A crab will eat you if you don't." A bogeyman lullaby. Why do grown-ups like to scare kids to sleep?
Why do grown-ups do that? SMH
In New Orleans, lots I didn't know. Wasn't much I needed to know.
Eat. Sleep. Go to school. Pay attention to traffic lights, rules. Don't irritate my sisters. Get hugs and kisses from Ma and Pa.
Maybe the whole world is one big puzzle, and I just didn't know it. I only know in the bayou, my feelings are stronger. Sensitive.
I feel-know-something's wrong and Grandmere's not telling.
This last one is so true.
In real life, it's hard to be a hero. Bad things happen and you can't fix everything yourself. You need good friends and hope.
December 27, 2020
Writing was very poetic and descriptive, in a way I don't see often in middle grades.
July 20, 2025
Maddie, the youngest of four sisters, spends a summer off the grid with her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou. The writing is very, very good (how refreshing!) and captures the atmosphere of the bayou very well. For the most part, the book is leisurely paced. A couple problems are introduced late and solved somewhat abruptly, so I can understand complaints about the ending. It wasn’t too a big of a deal for me.
I have to nitpick a couple things: the book describes African slaves being kidnapped by Europeans. This didn’t actually happen that way. African tribes were constantly warring with each other and enslaving each other. Muslim traders made it lucrative for the Africans to sell their slaves to outsiders, where the traders sold them to Europeans and others. Slavery still has not been abolished in Africa and Arabia.
The book also portrays crude oil as pure evil with no benefits. But, like anything, there are benefits as well as costs, and humans have to decide if the tradeoff is worth it. As oil has lifted billions out of poverty and saved countless lives (just look at oxygen tubes and vaccines), and as we’ve gotten better at safer technology, I have to side with oil as a net positive.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
I have to nitpick a couple things: the book describes African slaves being kidnapped by Europeans. This didn’t actually happen that way. African tribes were constantly warring with each other and enslaving each other. Muslim traders made it lucrative for the Africans to sell their slaves to outsiders, where the traders sold them to Europeans and others. Slavery still has not been abolished in Africa and Arabia.
The book also portrays crude oil as pure evil with no benefits. But, like anything, there are benefits as well as costs, and humans have to decide if the tradeoff is worth it. As oil has lifted billions out of poverty and saved countless lives (just look at oxygen tubes and vaccines), and as we’ve gotten better at safer technology, I have to side with oil as a net positive.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
January 7, 2016
My kid picked this up-- I was skeptical. It looked like my old "Wait till Helen Comes" and I let her read the first fifty pages on her own. Then the due date drew nigh and she asked me to read it to her. And wow. The writing is terse and poetic, vernacular and otherworldly. The setting is specific -- a lite Bayou community called Bon Temps, with water boats and shrimpers and kids and absentee parents and frail, odd, but magical grandmother of Maddy, the main character.
At first it seems like a pretty standard kid book-- oh no, I have to go live with my weird grandma who my mean big sisters say is a witch! And you think by the end she'll realize grandma is of course not a witch but a harmless old lady and come to love her and her quirky little community.
Nope. Grandmere is magic. She's sometimes ominous. Maddy is even more magic, and it's hard to know bad things are coming, it's hard to see the water spirit mermaid who accompanied your ancestress as she was taken across the ocean from Africa in chains. (I would absolutely pair this book with "The Girl Named Disaster" for another story about helpful but frightening African water spirits.)
Bad things happen. People get hurt. People respond in realistic but heartbreaking ways to being hurt. We sat on the couch and read the whole thing out loud and cried.
I've never read a YA novel like this-- the magic was realistic as I've experienced magic-- heavy-seeming dreams and intuition and imagination and animals and fits and starts and sometimes absent and sometimes overwhelming. The language was simple enough for my 8 year old to follow but as simple and meaningful as poetry.
I loved that the main character was a black girl. This month we heard a lot of nasty language responding to casting Hermione as black. I wish with all my cold little heart that canonically there was something in the Harry Potter books that states Hermione was black, rather than nothing that says she can't be. Rather like leaving space for Dumbledore to be read as gay instead of there being something textual that confirms he is-- canonical representation matter. It matters!!
I need my kids to grow up with heroes and heroines of all races-- and especially with stories like this where the main character's racial background is important to the plot.
The power that came with her enslaved grandmother ultimately allows her to help her grandmothers community. Do you see how important this is? This is not post-racial "let's pretend slavery didn't happen and everything is okay now" color blindness-- this is real storytelling where heritage is important.
Can't overstate enough how much I loved this book.
At first it seems like a pretty standard kid book-- oh no, I have to go live with my weird grandma who my mean big sisters say is a witch! And you think by the end she'll realize grandma is of course not a witch but a harmless old lady and come to love her and her quirky little community.
Nope. Grandmere is magic. She's sometimes ominous. Maddy is even more magic, and it's hard to know bad things are coming, it's hard to see the water spirit mermaid who accompanied your ancestress as she was taken across the ocean from Africa in chains. (I would absolutely pair this book with "The Girl Named Disaster" for another story about helpful but frightening African water spirits.)
Bad things happen. People get hurt. People respond in realistic but heartbreaking ways to being hurt. We sat on the couch and read the whole thing out loud and cried.
I've never read a YA novel like this-- the magic was realistic as I've experienced magic-- heavy-seeming dreams and intuition and imagination and animals and fits and starts and sometimes absent and sometimes overwhelming. The language was simple enough for my 8 year old to follow but as simple and meaningful as poetry.
I loved that the main character was a black girl. This month we heard a lot of nasty language responding to casting Hermione as black. I wish with all my cold little heart that canonically there was something in the Harry Potter books that states Hermione was black, rather than nothing that says she can't be. Rather like leaving space for Dumbledore to be read as gay instead of there being something textual that confirms he is-- canonical representation matter. It matters!!
I need my kids to grow up with heroes and heroines of all races-- and especially with stories like this where the main character's racial background is important to the plot.
The power that came with her enslaved grandmother ultimately allows her to help her grandmothers community. Do you see how important this is? This is not post-racial "let's pretend slavery didn't happen and everything is okay now" color blindness-- this is real storytelling where heritage is important.
Can't overstate enough how much I loved this book.
June 8, 2017
This book is wonderful.
I never would have picked it up on my own. I had never heard of it or the author. My 4th grader found it at the library, and I decided to read it because the African-American girl on the cover piqued my interest. I am a big fan of multiculturalism in literature, though I admit, as an Asian-American, I tend to seek out books by and about Asian-Americans. I can't speak to the authenticity of the African-American experience in this book, but as a reader, I was drawn into the world of the Louisiana bayou along with Maddy, the main character, and I didn't want to leave.
Firstly, this book is beautifully written. The writing is very descriptive, even poetic. Metaphors abound.
Maddy, the main character, is a city girl from New Orleans who is sent to spend the summer with her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou. She meets a boy named Bear who is self-reliant, independent, and at one with nature. He is a compelling character, and once I met him, I wanted to read more about him.
As Maddy is introduced to the bayou, there is a bit of a lesson about environmentalism. As the book progresses, the lesson becomes explicit, a central theme.
Faith in things unseen is also an important message. There's a bit of magic realism as Maddy discovers, and struggles to understand, some "gifts" she inherited through her maternal ancestors.
About two-thirds of the way through the book, the story takes a very serious turn. Though the events were predictable, having suspected that they would happen did not detract from the book because I was already invested in the characters, and I wanted to see how the story would end.
For the parents out there who like to know what to expect, I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that this book doesn't hide the fact that life is complicated. There is a death, and a violent drunk. But both are handled in as gentle a manner as you might expect when narrated from the perspective of a thoughtful 10-year-old girl.
I never would have picked it up on my own. I had never heard of it or the author. My 4th grader found it at the library, and I decided to read it because the African-American girl on the cover piqued my interest. I am a big fan of multiculturalism in literature, though I admit, as an Asian-American, I tend to seek out books by and about Asian-Americans. I can't speak to the authenticity of the African-American experience in this book, but as a reader, I was drawn into the world of the Louisiana bayou along with Maddy, the main character, and I didn't want to leave.
Firstly, this book is beautifully written. The writing is very descriptive, even poetic. Metaphors abound.
Maddy, the main character, is a city girl from New Orleans who is sent to spend the summer with her grandmother in the Louisiana bayou. She meets a boy named Bear who is self-reliant, independent, and at one with nature. He is a compelling character, and once I met him, I wanted to read more about him.
As Maddy is introduced to the bayou, there is a bit of a lesson about environmentalism. As the book progresses, the lesson becomes explicit, a central theme.
Faith in things unseen is also an important message. There's a bit of magic realism as Maddy discovers, and struggles to understand, some "gifts" she inherited through her maternal ancestors.
About two-thirds of the way through the book, the story takes a very serious turn. Though the events were predictable, having suspected that they would happen did not detract from the book because I was already invested in the characters, and I wanted to see how the story would end.
For the parents out there who like to know what to expect, I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that this book doesn't hide the fact that life is complicated. There is a death, and a violent drunk. But both are handled in as gentle a manner as you might expect when narrated from the perspective of a thoughtful 10-year-old girl.
February 19, 2017
I bought this book for my niece but decided to read it first since I had been hearing so much about it. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different staple dishes of Louisiana. I've never visited but could almost taste the jambalaya and gumbo. The story took way too long to pick up for my taste and ended far too abruptly. Chapters were spent with Maddy going out in the river with her new friend Bear in search of the mermaid and then never really finding anything. I also don't understand why Bear is on the cover with her(at least one the edition I received) as he was missing in action for a few chapters only to return for a thrown together plot involving his father that was quickly ended. And then he was MIA when it came time to save the day and Maddy had her mermaid friends to rely on. Also there was a lot of forewarning about bad things to come ahead but the bad thing did not happen until the end of the book and was resolved rather easily.
February 8, 2017
Maddy is the youngest of five sisters. Every Summer one sister is sent to spend time with their grandma in Bon Temps. This Summer, it's Maddy's turn. Having heard supposedly horror stories from her sisters, she is more than apprehensive. What she discovers however, once she gets there changes her life forever and for the best.
This is a story of love, family, community and culture. Maddy's summer in Bon Temps is marked with good food, magic, but also a tragedy known as the Deep-water Horizon Oil Spill.
The story is beautifully told. The writing is seamless and the characters have so much personality. I also appreciated the author's take on the water deity known as Mamy Wata to my people in West Africa.
This book is definitely a keeper.
This is a story of love, family, community and culture. Maddy's summer in Bon Temps is marked with good food, magic, but also a tragedy known as the Deep-water Horizon Oil Spill.
The story is beautifully told. The writing is seamless and the characters have so much personality. I also appreciated the author's take on the water deity known as Mamy Wata to my people in West Africa.
This book is definitely a keeper.
October 18, 2020
WOW! Hey Siri. Please "Emotional" by Carl Thomas
Solidly 4 of 5 stars because I wanted it to be a bit longer. This story of Madison aka Maddy meeting her Grandmère and the Bon Temps bayou for the first time was truly magical! I love how Parker wrote the descriptions of nature and water...how she reminded us that there is life above and below the surface. The friendship that developed between Bear and Maddie was just so so so precious. I definitely want to go read the other 2 books mentioned on the dust jacket set in adjacent settings (I think).
Solidly 4 of 5 stars because I wanted it to be a bit longer. This story of Madison aka Maddy meeting her Grandmère and the Bon Temps bayou for the first time was truly magical! I love how Parker wrote the descriptions of nature and water...how she reminded us that there is life above and below the surface. The friendship that developed between Bear and Maddie was just so so so precious. I definitely want to go read the other 2 books mentioned on the dust jacket set in adjacent settings (I think).
October 1, 2020
I enjoyed hearing about the community of Bontemps. The ecological messaging of oil drilling, spills and having gratitude for the animals we both cherish or eat was excellent. The mermaid mythology of not only Mami Wata, but the other mermaids, was so great. Something about the story, though, was a bit sickly sweet for me, maybe the audiobook narration? I didn’t leave the book feeling as much appreciation as I expected to.
March 6, 2024
This is definitely one of the most well written middle grade novels I have had the pleasure of reading. The cheerful language invoking childlike wonder, and the endearing main character made for a fun, easy read.
I cannot get over the beautiful, evocative language. I was not just reading about the bayou, I was there, learning about it right alongside Maddy. Jewell Parker Rhodes writes with all her senses, even the dewberry syrup can be tasted through the writing. The setting is already magical in Maddy's eyes, and that magic is enhanced with the detailed imagery.
I was also impressed with the depth of the topics covered in the story. Though it is a book for a younger audience, it does not shy away from discussing slavery, abuse, or death. And the topics are not merely brushed by in passing, they are handled in a very mature and intelligent manner. I felt that this was a compassionate and respectful way to introduce young people to more complicated themes.
I think my only real issue with the book was the issue of pacing, especially with the final conflict. After building up the rising action so well, I felt the resolution came about too quickly and easily.
I did really like this book overall though, and I expect I will be looking for more books by Jewell Parker Rhodes to read in the future.
I cannot get over the beautiful, evocative language. I was not just reading about the bayou, I was there, learning about it right alongside Maddy. Jewell Parker Rhodes writes with all her senses, even the dewberry syrup can be tasted through the writing. The setting is already magical in Maddy's eyes, and that magic is enhanced with the detailed imagery.
I was also impressed with the depth of the topics covered in the story. Though it is a book for a younger audience, it does not shy away from discussing slavery, abuse, or death. And the topics are not merely brushed by in passing, they are handled in a very mature and intelligent manner. I felt that this was a compassionate and respectful way to introduce young people to more complicated themes.
I think my only real issue with the book was the issue of pacing, especially with the final conflict. After building up the rising action so well, I felt the resolution came about too quickly and easily.
I did really like this book overall though, and I expect I will be looking for more books by Jewell Parker Rhodes to read in the future.
May 3, 2021
The pacing here is odd for me; I enjoyed reveling in the set-up but found the climax rushed and, honestly, out of scale with the rest of the work. The domestic violence subplot would have both benefited from expansion and would have worked better for me as a central conflict. But the writing is pleasant and I'm not sure the pacing issues would bother me as much if I were 10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2024
This was by far my favorite of the series! Heart wrenching and yet so much love and fun in this one book! Superb
October 1, 2018
This book has been on my To-Read / TBR list for awhile... because there's a mermaid, a non-Florida swamp, and Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes has somehow built up as a bit of a deity in my mind. And when it's the last copy at the Scholastic warehouse sale, and my birthday week it's practically a moral imperative to buy it. C'est vrai? BAYOU MAGIC wasn't what I expected - my fault for not even reading anything beyond title, author name, and cover art before deciding I NEEDED IT IN MY LIFE - but I highly recommend it anyway. Basic Story: Nine-year-old Maddy goes to live with her mysterious magical healer grandmother in the Louisiana Bayou for the summer, befriends Mami Wata and her mermaid clan, and rescues the town from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Use BAYOU MAGIC as a Mentor Text for: Historical fiction: around little-discussed historical events (the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion of 2010)* Fantasy elements (African diaspora mythology) set in the real-world Rule-breaking: Introduces a lot of characters at the beginning while still introducing the inciting event on the first page. Morality & Teachable Moments: Deals with the theme of slavery (or even "Why does (our belief system's deity) allow evil to happen?" in a gentle way that even a very sensitive younger reader can process.
It's actually an excellent parallel/lesson in showing readers that whether slavery or oil-drilling, societies often blindly accept evils and their long-term damage in the name of short-term gain. But it's done so subtly kids don't feel "taught".
Diversity: Multi-racial cast of characters where race isn't discussed or an issue- Grandmere is revered for her healer abilities, and that's the end of it.
Boy-girl friendship: Much of the book is Maddy and Bear's adventures in the bayou looking for mermaids. Gender isn’t an issue, and neither is race. (Hey, it does happen!)
No clear antagonist: The human antagonist - Bear's abusive absent father, for about 30 pages - is redeemed. The "bad guys" are more human forces like being closed to magic, and going with the flow of a damaging, widespread practice.
Bearable Coming-of-Age: It annoys me to death when Middle Grade books are described that way... so redundant! This is a rant for elsewhere, but it's well-written how Maddy does come into her own as a magical "good witch" and the black sheep in her big, loud, family. In general, Rhodes is a master of the power/subtlety combo and lyrical/brief language. I think I need more of her books.
*Authors, can we please stop with the historical fiction set during my 20s? You guys are making me feel old!
June 24, 2015
Maddy is the youngest in her family and it's finally her turn to spend the summer with her Grandmere (her mother's mother) who lives in the Louisiana Bayou. Her sisters fill her head with all sorts of stories about Grandmere, all painting her as mysterious, cranky, and stubborn. She's lived in the Louisiana Bayou without modern conveniences her entire life and Maddy firmly identifies herself as a city girl (she lives in New Orleans) so, needless to say, she's a little nervous about visiting her grandmother.
Once she arrives and gets settled in to a daily routine, Maddy falls in love with the Bayou. She meets a boy around her age and the two become fast friends. While out exploring one day, Maddy sees a creature beneath the water which leads to the discovery of her mystical powers, a trait she shares with her grandmother. She begins to have prophetic dreams that warn of trouble. As she learns more about the creatures that only she can see (mermaids), her dreams reveal more details about the impending doom soon to descend on the Bayou.
An oil spill releases thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Bayou ecosystem. Maddy enlists the help of her mermaid friends to put a stop to the destruction of the environment, but even with magical help it takes time. With the oil spill brought to a happy conclusion, Maddy makes plans to spend every summer in the future in the Bayou.
The story feels a little rushed to me. I wanted to really soak in the setting and the fantasy elements, but they story moved along at a steady pace. I was hoping for some beautiful dialogue too considering the setting, but it was only okay (Grandmere inserts bits of French into her speech). A secondary plot involves domestic violence which isn't really dealt with and then a death makes dealing with issue impossible and leaves loose ends that don't read as firmly tied up by novel's close for me.
I was really excited for this book, but overall it was only okay for me. I think it's a fun summer read for grades 4-6 and I like the way concern for the environment is woven into the problem and rising action, though it didn't blow me away.
Once she arrives and gets settled in to a daily routine, Maddy falls in love with the Bayou. She meets a boy around her age and the two become fast friends. While out exploring one day, Maddy sees a creature beneath the water which leads to the discovery of her mystical powers, a trait she shares with her grandmother. She begins to have prophetic dreams that warn of trouble. As she learns more about the creatures that only she can see (mermaids), her dreams reveal more details about the impending doom soon to descend on the Bayou.
An oil spill releases thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Bayou ecosystem. Maddy enlists the help of her mermaid friends to put a stop to the destruction of the environment, but even with magical help it takes time. With the oil spill brought to a happy conclusion, Maddy makes plans to spend every summer in the future in the Bayou.
The story feels a little rushed to me. I wanted to really soak in the setting and the fantasy elements, but they story moved along at a steady pace. I was hoping for some beautiful dialogue too considering the setting, but it was only okay (Grandmere inserts bits of French into her speech). A secondary plot involves domestic violence which isn't really dealt with and then a death makes dealing with issue impossible and leaves loose ends that don't read as firmly tied up by novel's close for me.
I was really excited for this book, but overall it was only okay for me. I think it's a fun summer read for grades 4-6 and I like the way concern for the environment is woven into the problem and rising action, though it didn't blow me away.
August 25, 2017
My online Youth Adult at Heart book club read this book for the month of August and hats off to my friend Crystal for choosing it. This book has family, friends, bravery, magic, imagination, and growth. (All the same things Harry Potter had, how about that).
LIKED:
There were mermaids. Need I say more. (If you didn't guess that big fin was a mermaid you're ridiculous).
Maddy and Bear are squad goals. Enough said.
The imagery in this book was on point. The author managed to describe Maddy and Bear's adventures, and the Bayou, and what Maddy was feeling BEAUTIFULLY but without talking to much (I'm look at you Stephen King).
Watching Maddy and the other members of the Bayou bond and become a second type of "family" almost brought tears to my eyes. IT WAS ALL SO LOVELY.
I don't know much about the Bayou (actually who am I kidding, aside from the fact that they eat a ton of crawdads I don't know a thing about the Bayou) I liked the French words that were peppered throughout the dialogue.
NOT SO MUCH:
Although Maddy's older siblings kind of sucked, I would have been interested to see more of them. They're so different from Maddy (and her mom?) that it would have been an interesting dynamic to watch then interact more.
So I know what we were suppose to think happen at the end of the book with the... disaster (I'm trying to stay away from spoilers), but it was a tad abrupt for my taste. That being said, I still thought it was great because, MERMAIDS.
IN CONCLUSION:
Did the mom know about the magic? I don't know! Were the mermaids and magic read? I don't know! I don't know, and I don't care, because this book is so sweet and I will suggest it to anyone and everyone I meet. My kingdom for a Novella.
For more reviews by me on diverse reads for teens and middle grade readers, check me out on allthediversity.blogspot.com
LIKED:
There were mermaids. Need I say more. (If you didn't guess that big fin was a mermaid you're ridiculous).
Maddy and Bear are squad goals. Enough said.
The imagery in this book was on point. The author managed to describe Maddy and Bear's adventures, and the Bayou, and what Maddy was feeling BEAUTIFULLY but without talking to much (I'm look at you Stephen King).
Watching Maddy and the other members of the Bayou bond and become a second type of "family" almost brought tears to my eyes. IT WAS ALL SO LOVELY.
I don't know much about the Bayou (actually who am I kidding, aside from the fact that they eat a ton of crawdads I don't know a thing about the Bayou) I liked the French words that were peppered throughout the dialogue.
NOT SO MUCH:
Although Maddy's older siblings kind of sucked, I would have been interested to see more of them. They're so different from Maddy (and her mom?) that it would have been an interesting dynamic to watch then interact more.
So I know what we were suppose to think happen at the end of the book with the... disaster (I'm trying to stay away from spoilers), but it was a tad abrupt for my taste. That being said, I still thought it was great because, MERMAIDS.
IN CONCLUSION:
Did the mom know about the magic? I don't know! Were the mermaids and magic read? I don't know! I don't know, and I don't care, because this book is so sweet and I will suggest it to anyone and everyone I meet. My kingdom for a Novella.
For more reviews by me on diverse reads for teens and middle grade readers, check me out on allthediversity.blogspot.com
June 28, 2015
I learned about this author in a recent Publisher's Weekly reprint of a speech she gave (April 15, 2015), entitled "Diversity and Character Driven Stories." An inspirational speech which led me to immediately request this book, and send it to the top of my TBR pile. I wanted to love the book. I did love the family connections, the grandmother, the way the people of the bayou looked out for each other, the sensory nature of the writing. I often felt like I could almost feel and smell the air where Maddy was at any given moment. I wanted to be in Grandmere's kitchen and cook with her, sit on the porch and hear her stories. The fact that the story was rooted in reality so completely made some of the magical parts seem a bit contrived. And I did often wonder how my 10- or 12-year old self would have absorbed the story. But I am glad I read it! Thank you, Jewell Parker Rhodes!
February 22, 2016
3.5 stars
This is a great book to hand to 3rd-5th graders who love stories of magic, friendship, and family. I enjoyed the relationship between Maddy and her grandmother most of all. This is a story rich in history and tradition. The bayou setting is beautiful, detailed, and feels exactly as I imagine the bayou to be. The books only real weakness is its pacing. There are parts that are a little too slow and others that feel rushed. This may have been intentional for the plot, but it made for a disconcerting reading experience at times.
This is a great book to hand to 3rd-5th graders who love stories of magic, friendship, and family. I enjoyed the relationship between Maddy and her grandmother most of all. This is a story rich in history and tradition. The bayou setting is beautiful, detailed, and feels exactly as I imagine the bayou to be. The books only real weakness is its pacing. There are parts that are a little too slow and others that feel rushed. This may have been intentional for the plot, but it made for a disconcerting reading experience at times.
March 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I love that you get to learn about life on the Bayou in Louisiana. Also learn about the Cajun Culture. So it is a really good book to teach multiple subjects, (English, Social Studies, Science, Art, etc.) Was an easy read as well, I really enjoyed the plot because of the family relationship was really strong. I also loved how I was able to learn more about life in Louisiana and compare to my own life experience and see the similarities and differences.
April 10, 2017
Bayou Magic was a good story that combined friendship, family, environmental awareness, and just a bit of magic. It provides a brief look into African folklore and also contains an important message about protecting the environment. A great read that I would recommend to others!
April 28, 2020
When 10-year-old Maddy goes to visit her grandmother is the reclusive Bayou, she begins seeing…weird things. With the help of her new friend, Bear, Maddy is able to discover the water spirit (name) in the form of a mermaid. This story was full of folklore, friendship, and bravery.
June 4, 2020
Dreamy and heart wrenching. Would be great for discussion.
May 28, 2017
Maddy is about to spend her first summer with her grandmother, Grandmère, a prospect that makes her nervous since all of her older sisters say that she is weird and that the bayou is boring. Nevertheless, off Maddy goes to Bon Temps, LA. At first, she is unsure of what to think of Grandmère, and then she discovers that Grandmère tells wonderful stories about their family past: stories of Mami Watta and Membe. Then she introduces Maddy to Bear, a boy who lives nearby with his father who works on an oil platform. At first, the summer is perfect, and Maddy is able to learn from Grandmère and explore the bayou. But then she starts having bad dreams, and Bear disappears for days on end. What has happened to Maddy's friend? And do her bad dreams mean something is about to happen? If so, will Maddy be able to save Bon Temps?
This story is a wonderful mix of folk stories and childhood fantasy, with a healthy dose of environmental realism. This book is recommended for imaginative children who don't mind a bit of realism in their fantasy. Due to some sensitive topics, it is recommended that children be around 4th or 5th grade before reading this story.
This story is a wonderful mix of folk stories and childhood fantasy, with a healthy dose of environmental realism. This book is recommended for imaginative children who don't mind a bit of realism in their fantasy. Due to some sensitive topics, it is recommended that children be around 4th or 5th grade before reading this story.
June 5, 2024
Maddy is a young girl who is finally getting her summer in the bayou and is going to spend time with her grandmother. Her sisters have spooked her and at first she isn’t sure she’s going to like it, but she quickly feels at home with her Grand-mère in the bayou. But there’s something off. During her stay, Maddy learns about life and the environment and adventuring with her best friend, Bear. She also gets the chance to be a hero like she always wanted.
Loved the environmental element to this one!
Loved the environmental element to this one!
August 29, 2017
Second time listening to a Jewel Parker Rhodes story, and again I felt disconnected from the emotional core of the book because it felt like a reductive, positive to the point of glib, take on hard tragedies. I liked the magical elements, up to the point they were an easy fix solution to a massive ecological disaster. Simply put, EXTREMELY UNSATISFYING. Also the child abuse and neglect of a character is completely dismissed, even explained away as okay.
TBH I didn't completely finish, but I was really close. The magical wall was a breaking point.
Guess I know now that she isn't the writer for me.
TBH I didn't completely finish, but I was really close. The magical wall was a breaking point.
Guess I know now that she isn't the writer for me.
Read
September 11, 2017I really enjoyed this book. Solidly middle grade with an introverted african american main character and MERMAIDS. 10 year old me would have loved this story.
The YA @ Heart Book Club talked all about it on our youtube channel:
(PSA: CURSING and MANY SPOILERS in the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrgu...
The YA @ Heart Book Club talked all about it on our youtube channel:
(PSA: CURSING and MANY SPOILERS in the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrgu...
March 19, 2021
A lovely book that I read with my 7-year-old that helped introduce to her some of the heavier issues of climate destruction but with a strong, young female protagonist; the benefits of a loving community; the beauty of nature; and the power of hope. This book had beautiful symbolism and was magical enough to keep my daughter hooked (mermaids!).
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