I'll see us through the thick and thin: HAZEL BLY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA.

Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea by Ashley Herring Blake
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A beautiful story about love and loss

Hazel Bly lived a great life with her Mum and Mama until a kayaking accident. Then her Mum died, leaving Hazel with a scar on her face and terrible anxiety. She wants nothing more than to keep her little sister Peach safe. The Blys move around a lot now. Two years after the accident, they are in Maine. It turns out that one of their new neighbors is her Mama's old childhood friend, Claire. The introduction of Claire into Hazel's world--along with her chatty daughter Lemon--makes Hazel feel unsettled. Plus Lemon is fixated on a local legend, the Rose Maid, a mermaid often seen in the waters. Hazel notes a resemblance between herself and Rose and soon she finds herself as fascinated by the mermaid as Lemon. Because sometimes everyone needs to believe in a little magic, especially when their world is crumbling around them.

"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."

Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.

Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.

This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.

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You and I were meant to be: RAMONA THE PEST & PIP BARTLETT'S GUIDE TO SEA MONSTERS.

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read RAMONA THE PEST with my eight-year-old daughters. We had such fun with this one, and wow, the story really holds up over time. They were totally into it, laughing and engaged throughout the entire book. The actual physical copy we read was mine, given to me by my Dad in 1987, and I loved that I could share it with them now.

Ramona--what can I say? A timeless character. The girls adored her, and I fell in love with her all over again. Cleary has such an amazing knack for writing children and capturing their true essence. Reading it again as a parent I was truly blown away by how well she could write from a child's perspective. Grace and Zoe loved Ramona's antics, and we are already on to the next book.

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Pip Bartlett's Guide to Sea Monsters by Jackson Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third entry in the Pip Bartlett series. My eight-year-old daughters loved the entire series and spunky Pip! This book was just as loved as the previous two. Despite all those pesky sea monsters, it made us all want to be at the beach with Pip and Tomas--and maybe even Callie and the triplets! The girls absolutely loved all the amazing magical creatures Maggie and Jackson come up with, especially the spinnerseals!

This series is so wonderful for kids with imaginations and who love animals. It always inspires my girls to come up with their own magical creatures. I love how Pip works to solve her own problems, keeps a positive attitude and open mind, and is always a friend to everyone. These are excellent books!

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