Lucy Strange is a master storyteller when it comes to creating atmospheric and creepy tales and The Mermaid in the Millpond is no exception. Written for Barrington Stoke, it is a short and accessible text suitable for readers in Year 4 and above. I loved the intermingling of history and myth and found the story to be both emotional and uplifting. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

An absolutely exquisite book for young readers. My 8 and 10 year olds are huge fans of Lucy Strange. You are guaranteed a riveting read every time. In this story, we meet Bess, who finds herself lonely and trapped in a gruelling job at a rural Mill, after leaving the work house. There are rumours of a strange and dangerous creature in the nearby pond. Yet Bess finds that they have more in common than you might think. An emotion and beautiful book. #themermaidinthemillpond #lucystrange #netgalley

At first glance, this book is quick to read and easy to follow. The parallel between Bess's situation at the mill and the fate of the creature in the pond is an obvious one. Of course, being a simple metaphor means it's a solid choice for teaching young readers about symbolism. The language is sparse and efficient but the atmosphere it creates is strong. We get a clear picture of the reality of life for impoverished children forced into work. And the future that Bess is looking towards is a realistic one. She doesn't anticipate a life of leisure, of being rescued from toil. She simply wants a job where her life will be respected. This is the sort of book that could be read several times and that you may draw different things from each time.

Beautiful short story that mixes magical encounter with gritty historical fiction for a haunting read.

Two cotton mill child labourers dream of a better life. But as they make a bid for freedom, they meet someone else who needs help to escape.

Edited to be dyslexia-friendly🧜‍♀️

One of the best Middle Grade books!

I sincerely love its theme of friendship a lot, and I'm sure to let my kids read it someday. Truly emotionally-captivating. I highly recommend.

This is a short middle grade book about a girl named Bess who goes to work at a cotton mill after her mother dies. She has vowed to not make any friends and to only look out for herself. That changes when she meets Dot and a mermaid.

The Mermaid in the Millpond is set during a time when child labor was the norm. It depicts the sadness and awful treatment that these children had to go through. Bess and Dot plan to escape the mill and save the mermaid that is stuck in the millpond. The ending of this book is full of hope, and I wish we could have seen where the characters ended up.

Thank you to Lucy Strange, Barrington Stoke, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy Strange is one of my favourite children's authors and I was so excited to learn that she was collaborating with the brilliant Barrington Stoke on one of their trademark Dyslexia-friendly novella length books.

The Mermaid in the Millpond is dark tale depicting the hardship and cruelty of the workhouses of the Industrial Revolution.

Bess has been left orphaned. All traces of her previously comfortable life in London have been stripped away and she is now captive within the prison-like confines of a northern cotton mill. Faced with back-breaking work, harsh punishments and sanctions, Bess tries to harden her heart to her new situation and resists the efforts of fellow worker Dot to befriend her.

Desperate to escape, Bess plots how best to find her way out of the mill but the boss has warned her and the other children about a monstrous mermaid said to inhabit the millpond that powers the water wheel. Convinced that the creature is a figment of the boss’s imagination, Bess becomes aware of something within the millpond – something which is just as much a prisoner as she is. Can Bess break free from the misery of her new life and if she can will she discover what it is that resides in the millpond?

At only 80 pages, and with some of those being occupied by the accompanying illustrations, this is a short read that packs an enormous punch

I am really hoping this is just the start of a beautiful relationship between Lucy Strange and Barrington Stoke!

First, this is a hi-lo book, meaning high interest/low level, meaning it is "appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is edited to suit a lower reading age." After working at a book store for more than 21 years, I've had more requests for this type of book than I can remember, and I love that this issue is being addressed by publishers. In the case of this book, the text is suitable for readers 8-12 years while being written at a 8 year old reading level.
I loved this story! It's got all the good stuff, by which I mean it's dark and creepy, with a determined heroine (Bess) and a plucky friend (Dot) teaming up to escape the cotton mill they're indentured to, plus there's a proper scary mermaid rather than a beautiful, red-haired, might-as-well-be-human young woman who wears a clam-shell bikini top and happens to have a fish tail. There are some rough moments - both girls suffer beatings for transgressions, and Bess is grieving for her mother, and feels responsible for her death - but the overall tone is hopeful. The illustrations punctuate the story well. A good gothic-ish story for middle grade readers!

#MermaidintheMillpond #NetGalley

A lovely short story about friendship and trust with some beautiful illustrations. Set in Victorian England, it shows how children ended up in the workhouse, and how hard their lives were, but it's written in a sensitive, age-appropriate way.

This story of two girls striving for a better life, together with the magical element of a trapped mermaid, will appeal to children of all ages. Highly recommend.

Good for people who like: history, mermaids, dark but hopeful stories.

The Mermaid in the Millpond is a short and meaningful tale about friendship and empowerment in a bleak situation. Bess is recently orphaned, and hopes that her new life in a northern cotton mill will be much better than the London workhouse she has left. Conditions are far worse than she expected, the work gruelling, and the overseers cruel. Bess avoids making friends, deciding that it is far better to protect herself from being hurt or disappointed. She definitely does not believe that the vicious mermaid who is meant to lurk in the millpond is real - it is just a story to scare children so that they don’t try to escape. That is, until she spots a strange figure in the shadowy depths of the water at night.

This creepy yet sweet story includes gently woven themes and meanings, and a rich reading experience. The book is easy to follow, and accessible to children who find reading a bit more difficult. While the language is simple and the story short, the themes and events are quite dark, including children working in poor conditions, injury reference, cruelty, punishment, and lack of power. However, there is a strong thread of hope running through this tale, enough to prevent it from being too bleak. There are gorgeously moody black and white illustrations throughout, which fit the tone of the story perfectly, and really add to the experience of reading this book.

Barrington Stoke specialises in books which are <i>accessible to all - as a quick engaging win for confident readers and a satisfying achievement for those who have to work harder</i>. This book is written for readers of 8 years and up in terms of content, but may also be suitable for younger children with guidance from an adult, if they are comfortable reading about darker themes.

A short and impactful story, with hope to balance the darkness. It would be a good choice for children who are learning about the industrial revolution at school, or who are interested in learning about how people in the past lived. This book shows some of the harsh realities of history, of children forced to work in terrible and dangerous conditions. The mermaid and links to folklore adds a touch of magic, and mirrors the way in which the children in the cotton mill are trapped. There are some beautiful messages in this short book, which turned out to be a cute and satisfying tale.

This book was reviewed by Cathy.

With thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Shelves: Children’s Fiction (Middle Grade); Historical Fiction; Folklore; January 2022

I was looking forward to reviewing this book, but it has been archived. I have to review and rate every book I receive or my ratio won't hit 100%, sorry.

This story by Lucy Strange was amazing, it gave me all the creepy vibes but at the same time being a heart-warming about friendship and loss. The setting of this story was great, set back in the Victorian world the whole atmosphere was brought into the story. The illustration were beautiful and added a lot to the story.

Extremely short story about a girl from a workhouse who is taken to work at a cotton mill that has a mermaid living in the pond outside. The two share a kinship of sorts when they both realise that they're trapped.

I think this would serve as a really good introduction to children learning about the Industrial revolution, cotton mills and the hardships of child labour during the Victorian age. It touches very briefly on the topics, offering a guiding hand and a light touch instead of hammering the subject home. The inclusion of a fantasy element with the mermaid offers a nice bit of magical relief and lightness to the story.

Well written, beautiful pictures scattered throughout and a great read for younger children.

I picked this up as an e-arc because I really like Pam Smy's illustrations. It was a quick read - I read the whole thing while waiting for my kids to fall asleep... it's definitely geared towards the younger end of middle grade but is a cute story of two girls trying to escape forced labor in a cotton mill and save a mermaid in the process. It doesn't shy away from the horrors of child labor at the time, but in an age appropriate way. I liked that the mermaid in the story was not a beautiful, fairy tale creature, but was very fish like and honestly kind of creepy. The girls still empathized with her and put themselves at risk to help her.

Tells a compelling story with amazing illustrations. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I first came across Lucy Strange last year when I read The Ghost of Gosswater and I vowed to read more by her. When I heard her new novel was to be The Mermaid in the Millpond I jumped at the chance to read it.

This is a beautiful and brutal story, in equal parts. It doesn't shy away from hardship, it shows us the grim reality of how children were treated in workhouses, but it also shows us the power of hope and friendship.

I highly recommend Lucy Strange's novels, and this one in particular. They are stunningly crafted, absorbing reads. I couldn't have asked for more. I will await her next release with anticipation.

4 beautiful stars

When 11 year old Bess moves from the workhouse to a cotton mill, she's hoping things will get better, but the mill isn't any better and she is surrounded by children forced to work in terrible conditions. When Dot befriends Bess and they learn about the mermaid in the pond outside, they realise that they are not the only ones trapped and unhappy and so resolve to do something about it.

Barrington Stoke books rarely disappoint and this one is no different. Lucy Strange somehow manages to keep the word count down and still maintain the pace of the story, without it feeling like anything has been left out.

A brilliant shorter class read or a great choice for the child who struggles with reading but still wants an exciting and engaging story.

I do not read many fiction books that target a younger audience. At least, not in comparison to the rest of the books I do get through in any given year. Surprisingly, many of the ones I have picked up come under the historical fiction category.
This is one such book. One point that struck me, besides the choice of a monstrous mermaid being the central character, was the idea of workhouses and owning the deed to a child (or that's what it amounts to in the long run). It is not very graphic but does not shy away from pointing out the misfortune that befell children who had no one to care for them in long-ago London. It limits itself to beatings and starving as punishment, which some older children may be able to read and question how such a society functioned and if and by how much times have changed. I think it is a topic that children would find alarming but have the aptitude to dig deeper. Parents should obviously know this point before letting any younger ones read it.
Moving on to the story itself, it is short and an almost graphic novel. It has chunks of text bookended by drawings, making it a very immersive experience. Bess is eleven and works in a cotton mill. She has worked in one in the city previously, but the current one has a myth of a mermaid in the surrounding waters. She does not like to think of her past or make friends. She ends up doing both over the course of the story. It is a sad story, and I see potential in continuing it as a series. There is also resilience in it, providing some hope for its characters.
I would recommend it to readers and children whose parents think they can read it without feeling unduly sad about the state of things.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

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Bess thought a job at the cotton mill in the countryside, far away from the streets of London, would be a fresh start. But the work is hard, the living conditions are tough and the boss is cruel. There’s even talk of a terrifying mermaid living in the millpond. The place is more like a prison than the beginnings of a new life and Bess isn’t the only one feeling trapped. Bess wants out and she has a plan to not only free herself but also the mysterious mermaid in the mill pond…

History and myth combine in this dark, tense and atmospheric read from the fabulous Lucy Strange that captures the attention of the reader right from the start. The Mermaid in the Millpond is a tale full of hope as two strong-minded and high-spirited young girls battle the harsh realities of life at the cotton mills with a fierce resolve and a determination to not only survive but to also improve their situation.

It is a fascinating insight into what it was like for children who worked in the cotton mills in Victorian Britain and Lucy Strange expertly immerses readers into this historical period. Told in first person, Bess tells of the unbearable working conditions all in exchange for an uncomfortable bed and a rather unappetising meal, the daily punishments and beatings for the merest infringement, the stern gaze of the ever watchful boss and of young bodies riddled with aches and pains beyond their tender years.

Eleven-year-old Bess has been hardened by life and following the death of her mother, who died from tuberculosis and that Bess still carries a heavy responsibility for, she has developed a hard exterior and is determined to not let anyone get close to her again. But then she meets Dot. And Dot could charm her way into the life of anyone, even Bess’. Soon, a friendship begins to blossom and with it the possibility to escape and of a better life.

This is everything I expect and love from Lucy Strange and with short chapters that often end on cliff-hangers I was racing through the pages. The illustrations by Pam Smy are superb; dark, moody and atmospheric. True to Barrington Stoke form, this read is printed in dyslexia friendly font and on tinted paper ensuring the book can be accessed by every child.

With huge thanks to the lovely peeps at Barrington Stoke for the copy I received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 8+.