A Comb of Wishes

Set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore, Lisa Stringfellow's spellbinding middle grade debut tells of a grieving girl and a vengeful mermaid and will enchant readers who loved Kacen Callender's Hurricane Child or Christian McKay Heidicker's Scary Stories for Young Foxes.

Ever since her mother's death, Kela feels every bit as broken as the shards of glass, known as "mermaid's tears," that sparkle on the Caribbean beaches of St. Rita. So when Kela and her friend Lissy stumble across an ancient-looking comb in a coral cave, with all she's already lost, Kela can't help but bring home her very own found treasure.

Far away, deep in the cold ocean, the mermaid Ophidia can feel that her comb has been taken. And despite her hatred of all humans, her magic requires that she make a bargain: the comb in exchange for a wish.

But what Kela wants most is for her mother to be alive. And a wish that big will exact an even bigger price...

Lisa Stringfellow received the inaugural Kweli Color of Children's Literature Manuscript Award in 2019 for A Comb of Wishes. She is a middle school teacher and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her children and two bossy cats.

• Publisher: Quill Tree Books (February 8, 2022)
• Language: ‎English
• Hardcover: ‎272 pages
• ISBN-10: ‎0063043432
• ISBN-13: ‎9780063043435
• Reading age: ‎8 - 12 years
• Grade level: ‎3 - 7
• Item Weight: ‎1.42 pounds
• Dimensions: ‎115.5 x 0.93 x 8.25 inches