Books, Babies, and Bows reviews the children's fantasy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret

What does an octopus have to do with mermaids? Read Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret and find out!

When I came up with the idea to write a book about a girl who didn't know she was a mermaid, my intention was to write a book that was pure fantasy.

But I discovered something about myself.

If I'm creating the magical world, it won't ring true to me unless it follows the principals of science. I guess that by the time you get a PhD in biology, science is too deeply ingrained in your DNA to deny it.

While I had lots of fun researching and imagining all the fantasy science in Miri's world, there was always that nagging fear in the back of my mind. Is all this fantasy science going to be believable to other scientists?

Yes, even someone with a PhD has a fear of looking stupid. :)

So I am thrilled about the review just posted at Books, Babies, and Bows! Jenny is a scientist and she gets it! She really gets it! (And she doesn't think I'm stupid or anything.)

From her five star review posted on her blog, Amazon, and Goodreads:
What I absolutely love about this book is how the author uses scientific facts to create a rule system for this "magical" world. You learn about how a mermaid changes from legs to fins in a way that makes it believable and magical all in the same breath. 

Read the rest of Jenny's review of Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at Books, Babies, and Bows. And while you're there, check out her lovely series on 30 books of Kindness.

Don't forget, you can now buy an ebook copy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at all of these major retailers.

Amazon          Kobo          Barnes & Noble          itunes/ibooks        Sony                    diesel

Happy Reading!

Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret named one of Reads4Tweens best books of 2012!

I'm a bit late announcing this on the blog, but I was so thrilled when Reads4Tweens came out with a best books of 2012 list during the holidays. Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret made the list!

Reads4Tweens says Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret is ... "a wonderful book for young readers who love mermaids and princesses. It’s in a modern setting, so it’s easy for them to put themselves in Miri’s shoes (fins?)."

Reads4Tweens is a fantastic book review resource aimed specifically at parents and teachers trying to find books for kids to read. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should check it out! The logo pretty much says it all, "because you want to know what they're reading." The reviews cover anything and everything you might be concerned about or want to discuss with your child.

Reads4Tweens was started by a mom trying to find good books for her kids. But she also happens to be very qualified to talk about children's books. She has a degree in children's literature, she's taught literature in middle school and high school, and she's currently a freelance editor. Needless to say, a great review from this caliber of reviewer was especially gratifying. You can see her full review of Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret here.

Book 2 has a title! Miri Attwater and All That Glitters

Gold nugget

Book 2 has a title!

Miri Attwater 

and 

All that Glitters

So what glitters? Is all that glitters gold?

Gold is a pure element, which means all the atoms in a nugget of gold are the same. Chemists abbreviate gold with its chemical symbol Au. In it's pure form before it's been polished, gold doesn't really glitter. In fact, it's kind of dull.

Pyrite

Pyrite, though, glitters a lot! Pyrite is sometimes even found in the same types of formations as gold. It's shiny appearance has given it the nickname "fool's gold." 

But pyrite isn't gold at all! It is only iron and sulfur combined together to form a compound called iron sulfide. Chemists write its name FeS_{2 .}

_{It is sure has fooled a lot of hopeful gold diggers!}

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