A Mermaid in Middle Grade Book 5

In the fifth installment of A. M. Luzzader's clean middle-grade series, young mermaid Brynn Evans races to find the Golden Trident before the sea witch Phaedra can use it to summon a shadowy creature from the deep — while also confronting prejudice toward her new teacher and navigating friendships. Luzzader weaves in themes of environmental conservation and fairness without making the story feel like a lesson, and the clean content makes it a confident pick for faith families. The series has built a loyal following among readers ages 8–12 and their parents precisely because the values are consistent and the storytelling is engaging. The honest caveat is that this is book five in a series — new readers will want to start at the beginning to get the full context and character payoff. No major publication reviews, but the reader community knows and loves this one.