SEA SIRENS

Dive into this visually stunning, middle-grade graphic novel about a spunky Vietnamese American surfer girl and her cantankerous talking cat who plunge into a fantasy world of oceanic marvels ... and mayhem!

Trot, a Vietnamese American surfer girl, and Cap'n Bill, her cranky one-eyed cat, catch too big a wave and wipe out, sucked down into a magical underwater kingdom where an ancient deep-sea battle rages. The beautiful Sea Siren mermaids are under attack from the Serpent King and his slithery minions--and Trot and her feline become dangerously entangled in this war of tails and fins.

This beautiful graphic novel was inspired by The Sea Fairies, L. Frank Baum's "underwater Wizard of Oz." It weaves Vietnamese mythology, fantastical ocean creatures, a deep-sea setting, quirky but sympathetic main characters, and fast-paced adventure into an imaginative, world-building story.

Key Selling Points:
POPULAR FORMAT: Published academic research (Tilley: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2014) shows that 95% of elementary school children read comics. According to an NDP Book (Nielsen BookScan) report at ABA, the market for children's comics and graphic novels grew 24% in 2016, and a recent PW article (4/13/18) focused on the "middle-grade graphic novel boom." It is expected that Barnes & Noble will be adding a stand-alone section for kids' middle-school graphic novels in stores soon.
CHARACTERS OF COLOR: The main character is Vietnamese American and her immediate family--a grandfather who is grappling with memory loss and a single mother who runs her own business--creates a backstory that includes cultural and intergenerational themes.
HIGH-INTEREST TOPIC, APPEALING ART: Surfing, sea monsters, mermaids, underwater kingdoms, talking animals--kids will love it all! And the spectacular art fully supports this action-packed fantasy in graphic novel form.
GOOD FOR RELUCTANT READERS: Graphic novels appeal to reluctant readers and have been found to help support literacy learning.
RECOGNIZED CREATORS: Janet K. Lee (artist) and Amy Chu (author) are known figures in the comics/graphic novel world, familiar names on convention schedules, and highly promotable.