In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Volume 1

March 15, 2024
Grades 6-10 Princess Mio is an "unhuman" mermaid born in a kingdom where having any magical characteristics is a curse. Her father and court doctors are feverishly researching a cure for her "disfigurement" so that she can be married to Prince Chika of a neighboring kingdom, but their efforts are slow and not always fruitful. To complicate things further, the tutor sent ahead of her betrothed begins questioning everything Mio and her kingdom hold dear about their bigoted beliefs, which causes Mio's careful facade to begin to crack. This beautifully illustrated story takes character-design elements from classic CLAMP romance manga and blends them with beautiful, wispy details from modern fantasy series like Yona of the Dawn. Tashiro has not only spent some time creating detailed and expressive characters, there are carefully crafted scenes and backgrounds to complement the characters that complete the fantasy settings. Young readers will enjoy this adventurous retelling of classic fairy tales with wonderful illustrations that invites questions about adherence to tradition for tradition's sake.

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December 6, 2024

Gr 5 Up-The country of Blognig despises unhumans: those with abilities and attributes that make them not quite human. This causes difficulties for Princess Mio who was, born with the power of the merfolk. Forced to take an uncomfortable medication that hides her abilities, Mio still kindly embraces life and finds solace in letter correspondence with her betrothed-an arranged marriage to a prince of Aquatia. A new tutor, Yuri Ban, challenges Mio to examine her beliefs, helping Mio connect to her unhuman status and encounter the world outside of the palace for the first time. When her excursion is discovered, the king, filled with hatred toward unhumans, orders Yuri imprisoned and Mio confined. Now, with real experiences and knowing that her powers can be used to help people, Mio's resolve is put to the test. While Fumikawa's story and Tashiro's artwork are adorable and appropriate for middle grades, there is surprising depth with complex topics, such as injustice, advocacy, and being true to oneself. The volume ends with "Eno's Flight: Part 1," the short story that inspired this series. VERDICT This adorable manga about identity delves into topics of injustice and advocacy and is a great option for middle school readers. Recommended.-Lisa Rowland

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