Secrets We Tell the Sea

Ages 8 to 11

When You Trap a Tiger meets Adrianna Cuevas in this translation of a Mexican award-winning novel about family, grief, and the sea.

The only good thing about Sofia's mom sending her to live with her abuela is that finally Sofia and the sea will meet face-to-face.

The sea has always called to Sofia. That's how she knows she’s a mermaid—that, and the fact that the ocean and its creatures are much easier to understand than people. Sofia longs to meet another mermaid, someone who understands her and the sea completely. And when she meets Louisa, it seems like she's found just that—until the sea betrays them both in one irreversible moment. Soon their town is overtaken by hurricanes and floods and emotions and questions so big Sofia doesn't know what to do with them. Like, how do you make friends with the sea again? And how do you calm the rough waters within yourself?

About the Author

Martha Riva Palacio Obón is an award-winning Mexican author of novels, poetry, stories, and television for children of all ages. She won the 2011 Premio Barco de Vapor for Mermaids Dream of Trilobites (which was also selected in 2013 for the White Ravens International Children’s Library Catalog), as well as the 2014 Premio Hispanoamericano de Poesía para Niños for her illustrated poetry book Lunática. She has a degree in psychology and loves creating soundscapes.

Lourdes Heuer is a children’s book author and poet. She was born in Spain to Cuban immigrant parents, then moved to the United States in 1984. She holds an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an Associate Professor of English at Broward College. She lives in South Florida with her husband, son, and three dogs. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @LourdesHeuer.