Liz Kessler
Children's author

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Section: Reviews

Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister

'A funny, wise book about finding confidence and friendship.'
Amanda Craig
THE TIMES

'Beautifully written book with great illustrations'
BFK Books

'A good read with lively dialogue'
IRISH EXAMINER

'Sparkles with magic and is full of friendship, warmth, real charm and quirky characterisation'
LOVEREADING

'An appealing story for this age group, both because of the familiar school and home setting and because of the colourful magic created by Daisy.'
WRITE AWAY

'For younger teens it offers some valuable lessons about friendship.'
Chloe Rhodes
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'A wise and charming story'
BOOKS FOR KEEPS

'Sparkles with magic'
MY CHILD

The Tail of Emily Windsnap

'Emily is a spirited girl... and the descriptions of how she finds justice, friendship, and a father kept prisoner by King Neptune, are intertwined with mesmerising descriptions of underwater scenery. As rich and strange as anything in THE LITTLE MERMAID, it is perfect for keeping boys and girls of eight and over in suspended animation all the way to the coast.'
Amanda Craig
THE INDEPENDENT

'A wonderfully inventive story'
Kati Nicholl
EXPRESS

'The wonders of this world are described in detail, from the colours of the mermaid tails to the glowing magic of the coral reef.'
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

'Liz Kessler makes a splash with this tightly written, highly imaginative debut.'
FAMILYFUN

'For those students looking for a female heroine, I give you 12-year-old Emily Windsnap.'
TEACHING K-8

'Light, imagination-tickling fare ideal for middle-grade girls, with charming ink-wash illustrations scattered throughout.'
BOOKLIST

'Middle school girls . . . will enjoy the tale.'
VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES   

'Pre-teen girls will likely bit at this novel's tempting bait.'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY  

'Liz Kessler creates an engaging heroine, full of funny asides and derring-do, and a sparkling, fast-paced story with more plot twists than a mermaid's flipping tale.'
WASHINGTON PARENT

'There is no denying the siren-like allure of mermaid stories. . . . Gibb's spot art has a fluid delicacy that adds much to the watery ambience.'
THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep

'High-action adventure, a plucky protagonist, and whimsical illustrations enliven this sea fantasy, which will be most thoroughly appreciated by series followers.'
BOOKLIST

'Great, fun, entertaining and funny'
MRS MAGOO READS

'A fun-filled middle-grade fantasy that will appeal especially to young girls'
KIDS READS

'The imaginative premise will intrigue readers and the suspense will be enough to keep them reading to the happy ending and perhaps send them back to Emily's first story.'
KIRKUS REVIEWS

'Recommended for book clubs in 'California Classroom' column.'
LOS ANGELES TIMES

'Interesting, suspenseful fantasy.'
NEW MEXICO KIDS!

'...funny, adventurous...'
TBKMAG

Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist

'A lushly detailed story about underwater life that should capture the attention and hearts of girls who love adventurous, romantic tales encased in charming fantasy elements. Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist is a great book, one that can be enjoyed on land or at sea and certainly raises the bar on mermaid stories for young girls.'
KIDS READS

'Liz Kessler has made a big splash with both readers and booksellers... Will grace beaches and pool sides this summer.'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

'Kessler combines the whimsy of life as a mermaid with the problems of an average middle-schooler. She keeps the story moving, with each chapter posing a new problem. Plenty of dialogue and Ledwidge's soft, dreamlike line drawings add textual and visual interest, making for a zippy story in an attractive package. Fans of mermaids and things that sparkle are the likely audience for this light fantasy.'
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

'An easy sell to girls looking for a friendship story with more than a touch of make-believe.'
KIRKUS REVIEWS

'What will most delight readers are the details of undersea life, from course work in hair brushing to 'scale polish' for decorating tails.'
BOOKLIST   
 
'This quick read is light and charming but also heartfelt.'   
VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES

'Light-hearted and exciting, with a straight-forward plot and happy conclusion... the book's strength lies in the rich, descriptive passages, unusual in a story for this age group, which conjure a vast watery world governed by violent forces and inhabited by shadowy creatures.'
BOOKS FOR KEEPS

'There is a lot of exciting, if mostly underwater, action and tremendous descriptions of storms at sea conjured up by an angry Neptune.'
THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN