Thora: A Half-Mermaid Tale - Softcover

Johnson, Gillian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1546383921 ISBN 13: 9781546383925

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

Thora’s no ordinary girl. She’s got scales on her legs, purple feet, and a blowhole that squirts water from the top of her head. Thora’s a half-mermaid, and as mermaid law commands, Thora must spend ten years at sea and ten years on land. In a houseboat called the Loki, Thora sails the seas with her mermaid mother, Halla, and her guardian, Mr. Walters. But when Thora returns to the seaside town of Grimli, where her father grew up, she encounters fat-cat tycoon Frooty de Mare, who will stop at nothing to expand his Tooty Frooty enterprises. With the help of new friends and her pet peacock, Cosmo, Thora has her work cut out thwarting Tooty’s evil plans – not to mention doing a bit of exploring into her own Grimli roots. But, despite being half mermaid, this exceptional young heroine somehow always manages to land on her feet...

About this title

About the Author

Gillian Johnson grew up in Winnipeg, Canada. She now lives in England and Tasmania with her husband, Nicholas Shakespeare, and their two sons, Max and Benedict. Gillian has written and illustrated numerous books for children, including ROOS IN SHOES by Thomas Keneally.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Half girl and half mermaid, 10-year-old Thora moves to the odd little seaside town of Grimli in order to fulfill her destiny as revealed by a fortune-teller. With a buoyant attitude and a loving heart, she quickly befriends and helps many of the town's inhabitants, though her goodwill does not extend to all. Thora's distrust of a greedy local tycoon named Tooty Frooty proves to be well founded when his dastardly deeds threaten the welfare of her mermaid mother and the town he professes to help. Like Pippi Longstocking, Thora lives largely on her own (her mermaid mother cannot live on land) and ignores normal ways of doing things. With a light touch and a smattering of Briticisms, this entertaining fantasy will charm children who like their magic with its feet on the ground. The broad premise may be fantastic, but the details are precise and realistic. Lively, witty line drawings illustrate the action. The story will end all too soon for young readers who long for a loyal, unconventional, and confident friend like Thora. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1546383921
• ISBN 13: 9781546383925
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 246