The Turning

February 1, 2018

Gr 5-8 His human heritage, from his father, has Aran's clan worried that he will never turn into a true selkie. Aran's own conviction that his change is imminent doesn't waver, but readers will fear for his clan and for him as they undertake risks to garner help for Aran. The tight-knit clan includes his Mam, Grandmam, the leader Lyr, as well as the selkies Maura, Mist, and Cormac. Living and eating off the sea provides Aran with skills and abilities unusual for a human but still much less than any pure selkie. In this murky world, Aran waits and suspense builds. As he enters into the human world, Aran must not only navigate strange new ways but learn to build connections outside his clan. While much could be made of the parallels to puberty, Whitman keeps that aspect subtle and the adventure uppermost. There is a lyrical quality to the text at times, while the inclusion of doubloons and sharks are likely to provide appeal. In addition to the selkie myths and legends upon which Whitman's story is based, she also tackles the reality of living with an alcoholic parent and navigating friendships. Whitman keeps the suspense high and delivers a satisfying conclusion. VERDICT A wonderful selection for readers ready to dip their toes into variations on myths and legends without the mayhem and adult themes that often accompany the original tales.-Carol A. Edwards, Formerly at Denver Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2018
A half-human, half-selkie boy searches for a way to belong.For his first 11 years, Aran considered himself wholly a selkie pup, living with his mother and a small clan of other adult selkies. Most selkies--seals who can transform into human shape--are born wearing their pelts, but pale-skinned Aran wasn't; his mother assures him it's only a matter of time. Being stuck "in longlimbs" means that Aran can't swim as fast or far as his clan members, which prevents his mother and him from migrating or attending the selkie Moon Day rites with the others. He drinks salt water rather than fresh, but he can't hold his breath underwater for nearly as long as the rest. When he learns that his father was actually a human man, he fears he'll never get his pelt. Finally his clan heads north to seek advice and possibly a pelt from the ancient wise ones, leaving Aran behind. Aran forges a cautious life as a partial human, making friends with a brown-skinned, biracial girl named Nellie and her artist grandfather, a white man. Still, the sea calls him every day, and when violence threatens, Aran flees. Told from Aran's first-person point of view, the story goes smoothly to that point despite some minor flaws in the worldbuilding, only to wreck against the craggy reef of its ending, which rejects his essential duality. A dishonest ending to an otherwise well-conceived story. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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May 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 Aran is certain his selkie pelt will arrive soon, allowing him to swim as well as the rest of the selkie clan instead of strapped to his mother. But when Moon Day comes and goes and it still hasn't arrived, he learns the truth: his father is a longlimb, a human. As Aran's position in the clan becomes increasingly fraught, his mother sends him to the one place she thinks he'll be safe?the land?settling him in with Maggie, a friendly woman in a remote area along the shore. Aran makes an unlikely longlimb friend in a local girl, Nellie, whose grandfather dabbles in lore, but can he trust her with his secret? Will his pelt ever come, or will he forever be separate from the rest of the selkies? The author of two young adult novels, Whitman builds a beautiful slow burn with her evocative middle-grade debut. Though the pace may move slowly at times for younger readers, the many layers make for a satisfying read. A contemplative tale about the yearning to belong.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Aran lives with his selkie clan, eagerly awaiting the day he gets his pelt so he can finally keep up in seal-form. After eleven years he's become desperate, but he never thought his search would lead him to the most feared enemy of the sea: humans. Imbued with magic and lore, this gentle fantasy--like its sympathetic protagonist--belongs entirely to neither the shore nor the sea.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)