Hannah, age 9, gives Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret 5 stars (and 22 exclamation marks)

For kid's books, there's nothing better than a book review by kids.

Here's what Hannah, age 9, over at BookCubs had to say about Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret.


If you like funny fantasy books you’ll love this. It is fantastic. If you do not think it is great, you are crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as a writer, there's nothing better than a kid's review like that. :) And yes, all those exclamation points are her's. I didn't add any.

Her favorite part was Miri's dinner with the Queen. That makes me happy, because I had fun writing it. (Sneak Peek - there'll be more fancy dinners with funny dishes in Book 2.)

Before I wrote about Miri's first meal in Kai Kaona, I ate some seaweed salad! It wasn't too bad. A little rubbery. :) Some of the rest came from memories I have - like when someone advised me to order "seafood" noodles in Japan and it turned out to be "seaweed" noodles. 

And the time at a fancy restaurant in New Orleans that my grandmother was served a baked fish with its head still on.  She was a proper Southern lady, a phenomenal cook, and had cleaned a few fish from my grandfather's catch in her day. She would never have served a fish head at her table. She sent that fish right back to the kitchen to be properly prepared!

What about you - what's the strangest, most adventurous, thing you've ever eaten? Leave a comment and tell us about it! 

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.