Keeper

I thought Keeper by Kathi Appelt would be the perfect summertime read, and I was right! What a "cooleoleo" story!

The main character in this story is ten-year-old Keeper, a resident of Oyster Ridge Road, "world unto itself", located on the Texas coast. Right from the beginning, the reader gets the sense that Keeper is in a world of trouble. There are problems with crabs, a precious wooden bowl, a well-loved ukulele, and pots of antique roses and night-blooming flowers. Keeper is at the center of all the misfortune.

"But she knows who can make things right again: Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where Keeper is headed--in a small boat, in the middle of the night, with only her dog, BD (Best Dog), and a seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in, and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling into the waves."

I thought this book contained fantastic storytelling. I was mesmerized by the writing of Kathi Appelt. Not having read her New York Times bestseller, The Underneath, I didn't know what to expect from this author. I thought Keeper was reminiscent of Ingrid Law's writing...poetic, beautiful...the weaving of an intricate story...I almost felt it was Savvy-like.

I will be recommending this to readers who like mermaid stories...to those who like adventure...to animal lovers...to those who enjoy a bit of a mystery as I kept reading to find out if Meggie Marie, Keeper's mom, would truly 'hear' her daughter and come save her.

I believe this story is a "Keeper"!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!