Song of the Deep

Gr 4–6—Twelve-year-old Merryn journeys to an underwater city of gold to rescue her father from the tentacles of a Rimorosa. While Fergus the pelican watches, she constructs a submarine made from bicycle parts and beach treasures. She's resourceful and brave, just like her fisherman father and her mom, who died trying to save her long ago. There are fun moments in the story where Merryn befriends a fantastical sea creature. But Merryn faces many uncertainties exploring an abandoned merrow village that is being destroyed by underwater robots that shoot torpedoes. As she encounters sights she's only heard about in stories told by her dad, she reminisces about her family and their possible connection to this watery world. Based on the video game of the same name, the story contains battles, evasions, friendships, and interesting spaces to explore like a lighthouse, a sea garden, and the Forbidden City. One or two full-page black-and-white illustrations appear in each of the 10 short chapters (they resemble the style of art in the video game), as do soothing lyrics.