Out of Place

Serial kidnapping was not part of the itinerary for Miriam Mermelstein’s first underwater trip. She will need to be really creative about how she uses her magic gifts if she is going to escape. Out of Place is a humorous middle grade fantasy about choices. Miriam’s most important life choice may have been co-opted by her cat, but there is still plenty of room for her to mess up. Ages 8 to 10.Serial kidnapping was not part of the itinerary for Miriam Mermelstein’s first underwater trip. She will need to be really creative about how she uses her magic gifts if she is going to escape. Out of Place is a humorous middle grade fantasy about choices. Miriam’s most important life choice may have been co-opted by her cat, but there is still plenty of room for her to mess up.“Our daughter is not a fairy,” Dad said testily. He had never completely forgiven the dragonfly fairies for grafting wings onto his precious daughter, a.k.a., me, without asking him first.“She may be human,” Mom replied, “but she has all the right equipment.”“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one,” he said tartly. Look at her. She has legs, so she’s human but she’s about to acquire a tail, so she’s a fish, wings…that makes her a bird and a couple of built-in pockets which I believe--correct me if I’m wrong--means our only child is a marsupial.”“Hey, come-oon,” I said. “Why are you so touchy? I’m on my way to visit Grandma and Grandpa Mermaid. Everyone’s happy, happy, happy. Remember?”Fitting in is a lot harder when you’re not even the right species.