Swimmingly wonderful 'tails' featuring these popular ocean characters, readers will love these books with mermaids!
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With summer coming and Disney's new live action adaptation of The Little Mermaid swimming into theaters, what better time to enjoy these beloved magical, fun and finned friends?! Books with mermaids have always been fun additions to our library basket or bookshelf!
From Hans Christian Andersen's original The Little Mermaid to YA reads featuring these under-the-sea stars, read on for our 15+ Favorite Books Starring Mermaids!
Love fairy tales as much as we do? Here are some more posts featuring these fabulous tales!
Fairy Tales With Fins:
15 Magical Books Starring Mermaids!
1. Aqualicious
by Victoria Kann
Everyone's favorite pink-loving girly is back for a seaside adventure in Aqualicious! Pinkalicious and her brother, Peter, discover a mini mermaid named Aqua during their beach day, who needs their help getting back home!
After a day of fun in the sun, will Aqua make it home? Featuring dazzling illustrations and a fabulously magical 'tail' Pinkalicious's latest adventure is the perfect picture book for mermaid fans!
by Liz Braswell
What would have happened if Ursula had won?! This YA twist on the classic Little Mermaid tale that we all know and love is a surprising, page-turning fractured fairy-tale perfect for readers who just adore a good story!
Part of Your World is just one of the 14 books in this spellbinding Young Adult series which presents an intriguing take on our favorite Disney classics and offers a fresh perspective and a fabulous page-turner with each 'Twisted Tale'!
Dive under the sea and paint magical pictures with sparkly stickers! From unicorns to underwater creatures, Paint by Sticker Kids: Mermaids & Magic! makes a great gift or afternoon activity with your fantasy-loving kiddo!
Mess-free and so much fun, these Paint by Sticker books are the perfect combo of a craft and sticker book!
by Mallory C. Loehr Illustrated by Joey Chou
This super sweet Little Golden Book captures all of the dazzling magic of mermaids with it's beautiful illustrations, and is the perfect read-aloud for younger mermaid enthusiasts!
Follow along as this mermaid swims through her day filled with friends and ocean adventures! I'm a Mermaid makes a wonderful gift or story-time addition to the bookshelf!
photo: BeadedPerfection
by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton
With colorful illustrations, rhyming text and a super fun storyline, your young mermaid fan will absolutely love How to Catch a Mermaid!
Kids will giggle out loud as they follow the attempts of some creative kids who are determined to catch a mermaid! Will they succeed or is the mermaid too clever?
There are many fun titles in the How to Catch.. series! How to Catch a Unicorn and How to Catch a Dinosaur are two more fan favorites!
6. The Siren
by Kiera Cass
Filled with fantasy, romance and ocean waves, The Siren is an enchanting read about love and adventure!
When Kahlen, a young woman cursed to be a Siren, goes on land and befriends a kind young man, she can't help but fall for him, and the feeling is mutual. Despite their connection, Kahlen is fated to serve the devious Ocean forever.
Will the Siren get her happy ending? Readers will travel from the depths of the ocean onto dry land in this tale filled with magic, heart and romance!
Fans of Kiera Cass and the Selection Series will absolutely enjoy The Siren as well!
by Izzy Quinn
Learn all there is to know about these enchanting undersea creatures in All About Mermaids!
This gorgeous title is filled with beautiful artwork and interesting 'true' facts about mermaid habits, how they live and everything a young mermaid enthusiast would want to know, !
Fans of these underwater creatures will delight in the clever and artistic book that makes a perfect gift and addition to all those infatuated with mermaids!
by Jennifer Donnelly
Discover a world filled with magic, intrigue and adventure, and of course- mermaids in The Waterfire Saga!
New York Times Best-selling author, Jennifer Donnelly is a phenomenal storyteller and exquisite writer!
From the first page, readers will be immersed in this series where you will experience the undersea world. Serafina is a mermaid who has been groomed to follow in the Queen's footsteps, and on the eve of her betrothal tragedy strikes. Her dreams of an impending evil are realized and sets in motion a sequence of events that will keep readers turning the pages!
Reviewers have compared this series to a mermaid version of Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson and is filled with fantasy, danger and adventure!
We have featured Jennifer Donnelly's books in several blog posts Stepsister, Poisoned, Lost in a Book, Northern Light and had the pleasure of meeting her in person as well! Ms. Donnelly writes stories that make the read feel like they are right next to the characters and make you feel like you've experienced it yourself!
by Liz Kessler
This New York Times best-selling series has enchanted readers of all ages! We always love when we discover a series that captures our interest because we know we'll have more fabulous stories to read after finishing the first!
The Tail of Emily Windsnap is the first in a nine-book series that is absolutely fin-tastic! 12 year-old Emily has plenty to deal with between starting a new school, friends issues and a bully to contend with. Then things get far more complicated when she discovers that she is half-mermaid!
Filled with adventure, friendships, family and discovery, The Tail of Emily Windsnap makes a great addition to your tween's mermaid book collection!
by Carolyn Turgeon
Filled with history, trivia, recipes, projects and more, The Mermaid Handbook is a comprehensive and interesting compilation of all things mermaid!
Mermaid fans agree- The Mermaid Handbook is the perfect addition to the bookshelf!
There are four sections: Fashion and Beauty; Arts and Culture; Real Mermaids and Where to Find Them; and Food, Entertaining and Stories of the Sea which are sure to satisfy mermaid enthusiasts and have them reading this book again and again! Perfect for gifting!
by Hans Christian Andersen
Enjoy the original Little Mermaid story along with Hans Christian Anderson's other favorite fairy tales in this wonderfully illustrated edition!
Enchanting stories with magical illustrations and interactive artwork make this a book that will be treasured and appreciated for years to come!
In addition to The Little Mermaid, this unabridged collection includes twelve stories including The Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling and Thumbelina just to name a few.
12. Aquamarine
by Alice Hoffman
Best friends Hailey and Clare are getting ready to spend the last summer together before one of them moves away from their idyllic beachfront town to Florida.
One night, a magical surprise washes up on shore - a mermaid! Aquamarine is determined to find love on land, and Hailey and Clare are swept up in an adventure that will make this a summer to remember!
Aquamarine was the inspiration for the beloved 2000's movie of the same name, and will transport readers to this magical sea and sun-soaked mermaid read!
by Sarah Cullen & Carmen Ellis
Part of the Ocean's Tales Children's Books, Lola: The Bracelet Of Courage is a rhyming picture book that young mermaid fans adore!
Lola wears a bracelet that was given to her from her father that enables her to be brave- or so she believes! One day, the bracelet goes missing and Lola finds herself lost when the tides turn!
Will she be able to find her way home without the help of her bracelet? A positive message about finding courage accompanies this sweet mermaid tale that young readers will love to read again and again!
Reviewers throughly enoy the vibrant illustrations and the included fun ocean facts that are included at the end of Lola: The Bracelet of Courage!
Mermaid Bell Bottom Leggings: PeaceLoveandBabyShop
This delightful Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Mermaid book is a fan favorite! Young mermaid fans are sure to enjoy the 200+ stickers that will provide tons of fun as they decorate fins, ocean scenes, sea creatures and more!
If you're looking for a sweet gift, activity book or a fun addition for a road trip, this Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Mermaid book is a nice size for smaller hands and will offer plenty of entertainment!
by A.L. Knorr
Salt & Stone: The Siren's Curse Book 1 is the continuation of the Elemental Origins Series. This YA title has all of the ingredients for a captivating story that will make you want to curl up in the chair and get lost in the book!
Targa is a conflicted heroine who is torn between being honest with her love interest and maintaining the secrets that protect her kind.
Romance, thieves, a magical stone and a centuries-old plot along with twists make this compelling story for readers who love YA fantasy and mermaid lore!
Perfect for gifts, bringing along on vacation or the perfect night in, you can find this engaging trilogy The Siren's Curse here!
16. The Mermaid
Jan Brett's picture books are pure perfection! We love them all and have collected quite a few! The Mermaid is one of our faves!
When a young mermaid named Kiniro happens upon a pretty house in the ocean with nobody at home, nothing can prevent her from taking a closer look!
Once inside, she finds a delicious breakfast waiting, along with comfy beds and other lovely furnishings!
What happens next is both sweet and funny- Jan Brett's The Mermaid is a magical version of a favorite fairy tale!
We loved this book so much we featured it in its own post! It's the perfect book to gift or follow up with activities and a craft! Check out The Mermaid by Jan Brett - A Magical Picture Book Feature + A Fun Craft & Ideas!
by A.M. Luzzader
This fantasy adventure featuring a middle school mermaid is a fabulous series for gifting, summer reading or just plain enjoyment!
Brynn is not yet able to perform magic, and therefore can't become a guardian of the sea! To solve the mystery and unlock her magic, she must go on a quest which will bring her face to face with friend and foe!
This mermaid read is filled with life lessons including environmental conservation, ocean life, mindfulness along with all of the challenges that accompany middle school -friendship, bullying, jealousy and interpersonal skills.
A Mermaid in Middle Grade is a favorite series for fans looking for a good fantasy starring a relatable character in slightly longer, yet still highly engaging chapter books!
18. Illustrated Stories of Mermaids (Illustrated Story Collections)
by Usborne Books
Nine stories from around the world await mermaid fans in Usborne's Illustrated Stories of Mermaids!
From Scottish selkies to the merman of China whose tears turn to pearls, to Hans Christina Anderson's Little Mermaid, readers will delight in reading these undersea tales featuring merpeople from around the world!
Well, there you have it! 15+ Magical Tales Featuring Mermaids!
We hope you enjoyed these books featuring mermaids and their under-the-sea fairy tale adventures!
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Enjoy!
Cenzia & April 💗
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updated 7/25/24 originally published 6/10/23
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