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Description
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Mythology. HTML: Meet Josephine, the most loveable mischief-maker in Barbados, in a magical, heartfelt adventure inspired by Caribbean mythology. * "A heart-wrenching adventure with big laughs and well-earned surprises." �??Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That's why she makes a habit of scaring his new girlfriends away. She's desperate to make it onto her school's cricket team because she'll get to play her favorite sport AND use the cricket matches to distract Daddy from dating. But when Coach Broomes announces that girls can't try out for the team, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . . The next day, Daddy brings home a new catch, a beautiful woman named Mariss. And unlike the other girlfriends, this one doesn't scare easily. Josephine knows there's something fishy about Mariss but she never expected her to be a vengeful sea creature eager to take her place as her father's first love! Can Josephine convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save Daddy from Mariss's clutches before it's too late?… (more)
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Grades 4-7 - "*Starred Review* Ever since her mother passed away, it has just been Josephine and her dad, with the girl going to extreme lengths to scare away any women her dad tries introducing her to. Josephine is convinced that if she can only make the cricket team, her dad will have to spend all his time with her, enjoying the sport that brought them so much joy when her mother was still around. After a stroke of bad luck, however, Josephine takes out her anger on an ancient silk cotton tree, setting off an incredible series of events. Her father brings home Mariss, a woman not so easily scared away, and strange things begin to happen. As Josephine and her friend Ahkai research folktales of Africa and the Caribbean, they begin to suspect that Mariss is a sea mumma, a spirit that demands a tragic sacrifice, and if she wants to save her father and village, Josephine will have to face the ocean. This fast-paced, laugh-out-loud fantasy is filled with humor and vibrant, likable characters, and its suspense will keep the pages turning. The food and culture of Barbados, plus a strong lesson about family, make this magical journey through Caribbean folklore one that readers will be left wishing to return to."