My name is India Finch. People say it's a funny
name. India is a country, and a finch is a kind of bird.
A country and a bird. It's an odd name for someone
who is a mermaid. Well, part mermaid.
Confused? Me too. I didn't know I was part-
mermaid until this summer. I'm spending the summer
with my grandpa on the coast of Maine. It's beautiful
here. Lots of pine trees and wild, rocky beaches. And
the ocean is amazing. The sea stretches forever and
ever. The waves crash against the rocks.
The ocean makes me feel huge and small at the
same time. It feels like home.
I was shocked when Grandpa told me he was part-
mer, I thought he was joking. Turns out he wasn't.
Grandpa's mother was a mermaid. He's part-mer, and
so am I.
On the outside, I look like an ordinary girl. I have
medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, and crinkly
dark hair. I get my stubborn chin from my mom and
my crooked ears from my dad. I'm tall for my age,
and my arms and legs are strong.
I look like an ordinary girl in the water too. When
I'm in the ocean, I don't grow a tail or gills. But
salt water makes my mer abilities wake up. I can
breathe water instead of air. I can also swim for
miles and miles without getting tired. And I can
use my hands to heal injuries and illnesses. I have
extra powers because I'm female. All mermaids have
powers, but none of the mermen do.
My mermaid friends have amazing powers too.
Nari can talk to sea creatures using her mind. She
can communicate with fish and lobsters and seals.
She says the sea creatures make better friends than
most of the mer.
Dana can make water thick. When she does, I feel
like I'm swimming in clear jelly. She likes to tease us
sometimes. We'll be swimming along, and suddenly
the water is too thick to move.
Lulu can move currents and make waves. She's
really strong, just like her personality. I shouldn't
have favorites, but I like Lulu the best. She's a fighter,
like me. Or at least how I want to be.
The mer used to live all over the oceans. That's why
so many cultures have stories about mermaids, even
though people don't believe in mermaids. It's funny
that humans don't know the mer are real. Humans
are to blame for so many mer problems, after all.
Mer homes have always been protected by domes.
The domes are like giant snow globes that make
whatever is inside them invisible. The dome forms
naturally when the mer live in harmony with their
surroundings. Once people started drilling for oil,
laying cables, and polluting oceans, mer homes were
destroyed. The domes protecting the mer collapsed.
The mer started to die out. The remaining mer
banded together and formed two tribes. Even though
the tribes don't always get along, the mer are safer
together than apart.
Almost three hundred mer live in these two
tribes in the canyons off the coast of Maine. My
mermaid friends are part of the Ice Canyon tribe.
The other tribe is the Fire Canyon tribe. Neither tribe
likes humans.
The Ice Canyon tribe wants to leave the humans
alone. Live and let live, they say. The Fire Canyon
mer are different. They want to attack humans and
punish them.
Members from the different tribes aren't supposed
to hang out with each other. This means I can't spend
as much time with Evan as I'd like to. He's one of the
Fire Canyon mer. He's also really smart - and cute.
He seems to like me too.
I don't know how long I'll be able to hang out with
Evan or any of my friends. Grandpa told me that
when he was a young man, he had to choose between
living on land or in the sea.
He had fallen in love with my grandmother. She
was human. Because of her, Grandpa chose land.
But he promised that his children and grandchildren
would always help the mer.
Unfortunately my dad wanted nothing to do with
the mer. He used to swim with them when he was my
age, but then something happened. Dad made a bad
decision, and a mermaid died. I don't know the whole
story and neither does Grandpa.
When he was old enough, Dad moved to the
middle of the country. Grandpa said Dad wanted to
keep me away from the ocean while I was growing
up. As a kid, I never knew I was part-mer. But I think
Dad wanted me to know. Right before I got on the
plane, Dad took me by the shoulders.
"Trust Grandpa," he said. "Whatever he says. No
matter how crazy it sounds."
Then he hugged me tight and walked away.
I didn't know what Dad meant until I came to
Maine and discovered my mer abilities. I still don't
know if my mom knows. Even if Dad told her, I'm not
sure she'd believe him.
The first time I talked with Dad on the phone, I
asked him about the mer. I told him how shocked
I was to learn the news. And that I wanted to know
everything.
"We'll talk about it when you get home," was all
he said.
I like being with the mer. They call me when they
need my help by sending a seaweed wreath. Then I
jump into the ocean to be with my friends.
Because I'm half-human, the dome makes it
impossible for me to find the canyons on my own.
The canyons are invisible to me until I'm inside the
dome.
My human eyes can't see the dome, either, although
it's supposed to be beautiful. My friends have to take
me to and from the canyons where the mer live.
We have lots of wild adventures. Sometimes,
though, I wonder if the mer only like me because of
my powers. After all, I'm the only one who has healing
powers. Would they even want me around if I couldn't
help them?
I also wonder what my future holds. Will I have to
make the same choice Grandpa did? Will I have
to choose between my human side and my mermaid
side? I'm not sure. I don't know which side I'd pick.
Maybe one day I'll know for sure.
But for now, I'm just enjoying being with my mer friends, swimming in the ocean, and helping however I can. Life as a part-mermaid may be confusing and unpredictable, but it's also exciting and full of possibilities. And who knows, maybe one day I'll discover even more about my mermaid heritage and powers. But for now, I'll just keep riding the waves and enjoying the beauty of the sea.
. Include the following:
. Main Characters- Describe their physical
sppearance, personality. and a key event that
sffected them
. Theme- What was the theme of the novel? Provide-
specific examples to support your theme.
. Problem/Solution- What conflict was in your novel?
Describe the main problem and how/if it was
resolved.
. Literary Devices- List a few literary devices that. were
used (ex: similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia. etc.).
. Setting- Describe when and where the story took
place.g. Summary- a brief synopsis of the plot
Main Characters:
1. India Finch - India is a part-mermaid with medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, and crinkly dark hair. She is tall, strong, and has a stubborn chin. India is curious, adventurous, and caring. A key event that affected her was discovering her mermaid heritage and powers during her summer with her grandpa in Maine.
2. Nari - Nari can communicate with sea creatures using her mind. She is kind, empathetic, and values her friendships with sea creatures.
3. Dana - Dana has the power to make water thick, sometimes teasing her friends by making it difficult to swim. She is mischievous and enjoys playing pranks.
4. Lulu - Lulu can control currents and make waves. She is strong-willed, determined, and a loyal friend.
Theme:
The theme of the novel could be identity and acceptance. India struggles with balancing her human and mermaid sides, trying to understand where she truly belongs. Through her experiences with the mer tribe and her friends, she learns to accept and embrace her unique heritage.
Problem/Solution:
The main conflict in the novel is India's internal struggle with her identity as a part-mermaid and the potential choice she may have to make between her human and mermaid sides. This conflict is resolved as India learns to appreciate and utilize her mermaid abilities, coming to terms with her dual nature.
Literary Devices:
1. Metaphors - Comparing the mermaid domes to giant snow globes.
2. Imagery - Descriptions of the wild, rocky beaches of Maine and the vast ocean.
3. Symbolism - The seaweed wreath as a signal for India to help the mer tribe.
Setting:
The story takes place during the summer in Maine, specifically along the coast where India's grandpa lives. The canyons where the mer tribe resides off the coast of Maine serve as significant locations in the story.
Summary:
India Finch discovers her mermaid heritage and powers during a summer with her grandpa in Maine. She befriends Nari, Dana, and Lulu, members of the mer tribe, and learns about their struggles and conflicts with humans. As India navigates her dual identity as a part-mermaid, she faces internal conflicts but ultimately finds acceptance and strength in embracing her unique heritage. Through her experiences with the mer tribe, India learns about friendship, loyalty, and the importance of understanding and accepting oneself.