Meranda and the Legend of the Lake By: Meagan Mahoney

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

When Meranda's great uncle Mark suddenly passes away, she and her parents travel from their home in Calgary back to the village of Skye in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.  Even though the circumstances are not ideal, Meranda is happy to be able to spend time with her grandparents and get to know the place her parents suddenly moved from when she was a toddler.  In Skye, there is a strong belief in mermaids.  In the past, mermaids were seen as protectors of the people of Skye, but with tragedies occurring on the lake, people are beginning to fear the mermaids.  Meranda has grown up with the stories of mermaids and always considered them to be just that, stories.  As Meranda meets more people in the town and they refer to her as a miracle baby, she starts questioning what she knows about herself.  With the help of a new friend, Meranda finds a way to get to the truth of some of the many mysteries surrounding the people of Skye and the mermaids.  This Silver Birch 2023 nominee is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys realistic fiction with a dash of fantasy.