Little bit of magic set in the Bayou. Maddy spends the summer with her grand-mere and finds a surprising place for herself.

Loves: Maddy is the 5th daughter and is somewhat overshadowed by her siblings at home. Seeing her connect with her grandmere and with the Bayou is lovely. She's not afraid of dirt. She loves her overalls and the heat and the jungle-world of the bayou and her new friend Bear -- nice to see a kid who plays like a kid, who has all the wonder at the world around her. Fireflies are magical no matter what, and I like that the magic in this book grows over time, and it's steeped in family traditions. I love that it's also very realistic kinds of magic (well, except for the mermaid, but what kid hasn't seen a mythical creature and wondered if it was real?)
Also, strong environmental message that speaks to saving traditions and communities, and talks about the reality of trying to save birds and fish impacted by oil.

I'm not sure that the magical thinking that allows Maddy and the mermaids to protect the specific Bayou works completely for me, but I do understand the wishfulness of it. And I like that this is a fairly lighthearted book on the whole. ( )

A sweet, wistful story about the magic of friendship, family love, and nature. It's also a tale of the environment and how we must mindfully take care of natural habitats. ( )

Sweet and endearing. A beautiful story, never preachy, with great lessons of real life. ( )

Jewell Parker Rhodes is such a magical lovely person and her books are too. Her newest book is about Maddy, the youngest of a family of girls. She goes to her grandmother's house deep in the bayou for the summer. When a firefly follows the car to the house, it is but the first step in a magical summer. The language, the rhythms, the myths, are what make this worth the read. ( )

Advance copy. ( )