Celebrating #MerMay with Stories!

I work as an artist in addition to being a youth assist at LPL, so naturally I follow multiple painters and illustrators on Instagram. I've noticed in the last couple years that #MerMay has become a thing in the online artistic community. According to mermay.com, the month of May is a "celebration of creativitycommunity and above all… MERMAIDS." The idea is simple, everyday in May you draw a mermaid and share it with the #MerMay, if you are not an artist you check the hashtag and also share mermaid artwork. 

I thought a great way to participate in MerMay is to celebrate the month by reading about mermaids! A quick subject search on The LPL catolog shows 115 items encompassing fiction, picture books, nonfiction, graphic novels and audio books. I've compiled a short list of books of varying reading levels to get you started on your month long mermaid reading adventure!

Julián Is A Mermaid

Julian is mesmerized by the costumed mermaids that he sees on the train. The encounter leaves him enchanted and ready to introduce his own inner mermaid to the world. Luckily his Abuela know just the spot where all of the mermaids congregate.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

In this heartfelt novel, a girl discovers a that she is half mermaid and sets on the path to learning her true identity.

Fish Girl

A young mermaid spends her life trapped in a boardwalk aquarium as curiosity. A chance encounter with a young girl grows into a friendship that helps give the mermaid strength to overcome her isolation and escape.

The Mermaid

An undersea retelling of Goldilocks and the three bears complete with the lush, highly-detailed illustrations by the very talented Jan Brett.

Aquicorn Cove

Aquicorn Cove doesn't technically feature mermaids, but rather a race of underwater creatures resemble a mix between a human, a unicorn and a manta ray. It tells the story of an Island village ravaged by storms and the delicate balance that must be kept with nature to ensure the survival of land and underwater communities.