Seal Child [Paperback]

Sylvia Peck (Author)

Book Description

Molly and her family spend their first winter on the island in Maine where they usually spend their summers. When Molly meets a mysterious little girl named Meara, they grow close and Meara confides in Molly that she is the daughter of a slain seal, and must eventually return to the sea. "A promising first novel that reworks the Celtic selkie myth."--Kirkus Reviews. 25,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Improvising on the Celtic legend of the selkies--seals that take on human form--Peck has created an uneven but stylish first novel. Lured by the plaintive cries of a seal pup near her family's Maine cottage, young Molly stumbles over the gruesome remains of its butchered mother. Later, a mysterious girl shows up at Molly's elderly friend Ruby's house, a girl named Meara with glossy dark hair and odd ways. Readers will guess Meara's secret (she is a selkie) long before Molly does, but that won't spoil the bittersweet ending, in which Meara makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the life of her beloved new friend. Peck's prose doesn't always ring true--the first-person narrative clashes somewhat with the haunting, lyrical mood she's trying to create--and there are a few cliches (the wise elderly grandmother figure, for one). Nevertheless, Peck displays an eye for imagery (Molly's little brother Douglas looks at Meara "the way he looked at the candles on his birthday cake when he loved them too much to blow them out"), and proves herself a writer to watch. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 9-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-6-- An involving first novel. Spending the Christmas vacation on an island in Maine with her parents and younger brother, Douglas, ten-year-old Molly hears the cries of a baby seal and finds the nightmarish body--skinned--of an adult seal on the beach. Not long after that, a girl comes to stay with Ruby, a widowed island woman whom Molly's family has known and loved for years. The girl, Meara, is loving, interested, and mysterious, and she eventually tells Molly that she is a seal, and that the dead seal was her mother. In the end, Meara sacrifices her time on land in order to save Molly's drowning dog, and she returns to the sea. Molly's conflicting emotions and needs are deeply felt, as is her love for the island. Characterization of the rest of the family and Ruby is sufficient if brief, but Douglas seems to change ages occasionally, being both too young and too old at times. Ruby's lost love and her connection with a bull seal who comes to console her in her grief is sketched in lightly, but adds a note of romance and mystery. Meara herself is fascinating yet somewhat ungrounded. Her desire to stay on land after her mother's death is surprising. By creating her own modern version of how selkies must make their choice between sea and land, establishing an arbitrary "once and once only," Peck intrigues readers but loses the power inherent in older legends of the seal people. Be that as it may, this is still a good story of friendship, love and loss, and the mysteries of the sea. --Sara Miller, Nassau Library System, NY
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Skylark; First Printing edition (March 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553158686
• ISBN-13: 978-0553158687
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,231,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Seal Child (Paperback)

this was an incredible book of two innocent girls, and one who turns out not to be human. I got this book five years ago, and i am 19 now and still love it. It is truly a timeless classic!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seal Child, a truly enchanting book, June 14, 2001

By 

Angela (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seal Child (Library Binding)

i love this book soo very much. it has an un-ending glimmer of magic that captivates you and makes you want to keep reading. it has a quality many books don't have, re-read-ability. i have read this book un-countable times and i love it more and more, it doesn't get dull, it keeps on shining, i recommend this book to anyone who can read, your SURE to love it. {i apologize for the miss spelled words :) }

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful story, beautifully written, September 27, 2007

By 

Elizabeth (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seal Child (Paperback)

This is one of those rare childrens books that doesn't fade when you go back to it. I read this book for the first time when I was 10 years old, I'm in my twenties now and it still holds up. Each of Peck's characters has amazing depth -especially for a childrens book- and they become your friend upon reading. All the scenes are described so clearly I have memories from this book as if I lived it myself. Reading the book again is like returning home after a trip.

The book also gives a good message. It gently teaches about humans being responsible for nature and the world around us, as well as teaching important lessons about friendship that we can all use hearing again.

I would recommend this book highly. It's out of print but there are plenty of used copies around to be bought.