m Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids- plus an environmental twist.

It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings- the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid?

As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. But does she have what it takes to be a hero?

A tale rich with folk magic, set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Bayou Magic celebrates hope and the magic within- and captures the wonder of life in the Deep South.