Reviews - Bayou Magic | The StoryGraph

111 reviews for:

I enjoyed hearing about the community of Bontemps. The ecological messaging of oil drilling, spills and having gratitude for the animals we both cherish or eat was excellent. The mermaid mythology of not only Mami Wata, but the other mermaids, was so great. Something about the story, though, was a bit sickly sweet for me, maybe the audiobook narration? I didn’t leave the book feeling as much appreciation as I expected to.

caitlinmw15's review

4.0

3.5*

thistle_and_verse's review

5.0

Writing was very poetic and descriptive, in a way I don't see often in middle grades.

sistermagpie's review

4.0

Really nice book for kids. Maddy, 9, is spending her first summer with her grandmother in the bayou. The world is just a nice place to be--the bayou community are loving and friendly and Maddy's clearly at home there right away. She goes fishing for shrimp and meets a new friend, Bear. Best of all she connects with her family's spirit, a mermaid who followed her great great grandmother from Africa on a slave ship. It's just a great heritage-magic idea for a kid to imagine. Plus it eventually connects with some extremely serious real-world problems that might inspire readers to get involved in helping themselves.

deidra_shadetreereads's review against another edition

4.0

WOW! Hey Siri. Please "Emotional" by Carl Thomas

Solidly 4 of 5 stars because I wanted it to be a bit longer. This story of Madison aka Maddy meeting her Grandmère and the Bon Temps bayou for the first time was truly magical! I love how Parker wrote the descriptions of nature and water...how she reminded us that there is life above and below the surface. The friendship that developed between Bear and Maddie was just so so so precious. I definitely want to go read the other 2 books mentioned on the dust jacket set in adjacent settings (I think).

kathym91's review against another edition

5.0

This was just absolutely delightful. I loved how well the scenery and feel of the bayou was described, and Maddy was such a joy to follow. The blend of folklore, environmentalism, and summer adventure was perfect, and I constantly had the feeling that this book was giving me a warm hug. I would have loved to have read this when I was younger, and I hope that many young readers continue to enjoy this story - I definitely shed a tear or two at the end!