Multicultural

Title: Mariana and the Merchild
Author: Caroline Pritcher and Jackie Morris
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2000
Genre: Multicultural/ fiction
Age Range: Upper elementary
Summary: This story is about a girl who wants friendship, but other children are scared of her because she is "feared by the village children." She then finds a "merchild" inside of a crab shell. She loves the child very much, but one day knows that the waves will come take the child back into the deep ocean. Because of this, this interested the other children, and they began to talk to Mariana like they never had before. They helped and comforted Mariana when she had to return the merchild to the ocean, and they remained friends.
Personal Response: I think this book would be good for children who have felt left out in certain situations and are looking for comfort. This book shows that someone can go from being left out and not liked by others to having friends because of a commonality. It can boost children's confidence and help them through these tough situations.