71 used & new from $0.01

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Aquamarine
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Aquamarine (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "AT THE CAPRI BEACH CLUB, every day was hotter and hotter until the asphalt in the parking lot began to bubble..." (more)
Key Phrases: beach club
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


18 new from $3.96 48 used from $0.01 5 collectible from $16.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Library Binding $13.99 $13.99 --
  Hardcover, April 1, 2001 -- $3.96 $0.01
  Paperback $5.99 $0.03 $0.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Indigo

Indigo

by Alice Hoffman
3.9 out of 5 stars (36)  $5.99
Green Angel

Green Angel

by Alice Hoffman
4.2 out of 5 stars (84)  $5.99
The Foretelling

The Foretelling

by Alice Hoffman
4.7 out of 5 stars (18)  $7.99
Incantation

Incantation

by Alice Hoffman
4.6 out of 5 stars (23)  $8.99
Skylight Confessions

Skylight Confessions

by Alice Hoffman
3.7 out of 5 stars (48)  $6.00
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This wide-eyed, magical tale by distinguished author Alice Hoffman reflects the pale blue hue of two 12-year-old friends about to be parted at summer's end. Hailey and Claire have lived next door to each other and have been best friends all their lives, but now Claire's family is going to move away to Florida. The two hang out at the neighborhood beach club in the blistering heat, dreading the end of things. The Capri Beach Club, too, is coming to an end--neglected and shabby, due to be bulldozed at the end of the season.

Despite the girls' fear of change, everything shifts with a summer storm. At the beach club the next morning, Hailey and Claire find that the storm has left its mark, filling the cloudy waters of the swimming pool with jellyfish and seaweed. Hailey boldly dives in and discovers that the waves have also brought a delicate blue and white mermaid who is extremely grouchy at her predicament. The girls scheme to return the fish-woman to the sea, but she obstinately refuses to leave the vicinity of Raymond, the handsome boy who runs the gift shop. Alarmed at the mermaid's growing weakness, Hailey and Claire extract her promise to go back to the sea in exchange for one evening with Raymond. They set up a blind date, dress her in a long blue dress to hide her tail, and take her to the rendezvous in a wheelchair. But the next morning the dying mermaid is in love, and the patio is full of partygoers. Can the girls sneak her past all those eyes to save her life? And will she let them? Young teens will be entranced by the strange dreaminess of this poignant little story about love and loss. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell



From Publishers Weekly

Hoffman's (Fireflies; The River King) novel for children focuses on two best friends who share a mysterious secret. The summer that Hailey and Claire are both 12 is bittersweet; come September, Claire will move to Florida with her grandparents. But in the meantime, the girls spend their days at their favorite hangout, the Capri Beach Club, which is slated for demolition and all but deserted, save for Raymond, the college-bound bookworm who runs the snack shop. After a violent storm, the girls discover a mermaid at the bottom of the pool. As the days pass, Aquamarine's health wanes on account of the chlorinated water, and the girls orchestrate a Cinderella-esque romantic evening between Aquamarine and Raymond on the condition that the mermaid return to the sea after that night, to heal. Hoffman creates an apt metaphor for that twilight time between childhood and adolescence when magic still seems possible and friendships run deep and true. Although her characters are sketched well, they are not fully realized; and while the language is lyrical (Aquamarine is "beautiful as a pearl" with a voice "as cool and fresh as bubbles rising from the ocean"), the narrative itself spins out in a coolly elegant, detached voice that evokes an adult's ("Maybe... they'd grow up and be just like all those other people who didn't know what it meant to have your best friend living right next door") and muffles much of the story's energy and potential. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 9-12
  • Hardcover: 112 pages
  • Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0439098637
  • ISBN-13: 978-0439098632
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,082,192 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #77 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Hoffman, Alice

More About the Author

Alice Hoffman
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Alice Hoffman Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
AT THE CAPRI BEACH CLUB, every day was hotter and hotter until the asphalt in the parking lot began to bubble. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
beach club
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Aquamarine
84% buy the item featured on this page:
Aquamarine 3.7 out of 5 stars (69)
Second Nature
4% buy
Second Nature 4.0 out of 5 stars (37)
$11.25
Here on Earth (Oprah's Book Club)
4% buy
Here on Earth (Oprah's Book Club) 3.3 out of 5 stars (488)
$7.99
Practical Magic
4% buy
Practical Magic 4.1 out of 5 stars (202)
$10.20

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

69 Reviews
5 star:
 (22)
4 star:
 (23)
3 star:
 (13)
2 star:
 (6)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (69 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, April 6, 2001
A sweet little coming-of-age novel (check that, NOVELETTE), is a nice read and good diversion, by the author of Oprah Book Club "Here on Earth" (though I doubt anyone reading this book will care diddly). Though a bit too short and a bit too shallow, it's sweet.

Twelve-year-old neighbors Hailey and Claire have been best buddies all their lives, but this summer is the last they will be able to hang out together. Claire will be moving to Florida, and this hangs a pall over their fun. A nearby club will also shut down at the end of summer, a place that they know and enjoy.

But what happens when a mermaid is washed ashore? Aquamarine is not your typical Little Mermaid type, being both cranky and lovelorn. Despite the fact that land-based life will destroy her, Aquamarine falls in love with a local boy (I didn't see his charm, personally). Hailey and Claire manage to smuggle her about in a wheelchair -- but how can they help her survive, if she doesn't want to go back?

It's a nice little book, with excellent descriptions of the local areas. Unfortunately, Aquamarine was the only truly interesting character, as Hailey and Claire are typical book-kids who could be lifted from any other book. Their bright spot is the separation anxiety, which is often reserved mainly for parents. But things simply happen, with little insight into the characters' thoughts.

I also found the shortness of this novel distracting -- there are a fair number of pages, but there are very few lines per page, and the omniscient voice of the narrator destroys some opportunities to initiate more character development (telling us stuff about Aquamarine's background rather than having HER tell Claire and Hailey and US).

I advise younger kids to read this book, but middle grade and older readers will find themselves severely frustrated.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a little book, May 12, 2001
A book about two best friends about to be separated by miles and time is a definite catch for me to read. And it's an unforgettable read. When the two girls discovered a mermaid at the bottom of a pool, the girls (Claire and Hailey) did everything they could to help Aquamarine meet her true love, a boy named Ray.

It is a whimiscal & delightful read. It's a wonderful little book to add to everyone's library. Hoffman turns an old legend into modern day prose ~~ but the reader will fall in love with the characters and the siren song of the mermaid.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Aquamarine, November 25, 2002
A Kid's Review
I am a fifth grade student at Waldron Mercy Academy (A.N.C.-L.). This book was a real page-turner. It had a mix of suspense, happiness, and sea creatures. On a hot day at the Capri Beach Club, Hailey and Claire are spending time together. The girls are sad because Claire is moving to Florida at the end of the month. Soon, the Capri will be knocked down. The day after a storm Hailey and Claire visit the pool. They are not allowed in, (Claire is scared of swimming) but they go anyway! In the pool, they find a rude sixteen year old mermaid. She is lost and in love. Claire sews her a beautiful dress (Claire likes sewing), and Hailey sets up a date for her. After the date she starts drying out and dying. Will Hailey and Claire get her to the ocean before she dies? Read the rest of the book to find out. This book was so good that my mommy called me for dinner at 5:00p.m. and I didn't go down until 5:30p.m. This book really deserves a five star rating.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Comparable to sea glass - rare and beautiful
This summer, the Capri Beach Club may look similar to a shipwreck, what with the tractors surrounding the once-beautiful resort, and the washed up starfish and seashells scattered... Read more
Published on May 31, 2007 by Erika Sorocco

2.0 out of 5 stars Mermaid Tale
Hailey and Claire have always been best friends and have always lived next door to each other. Every summer they have spent their time at the Capri, a beach club nearby. Read more
Published on April 25, 2007 by A. Luciano

4.0 out of 5 stars Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a book about two young girls Hayley and Claire who spend everyday in the summer together. Read more
Published on April 25, 2007

4.0 out of 5 stars The Crazy Discovery
The book Aquamarine is abput two girls named Hailey and Claire, who are best friends. Hailey and Claire then find out that Claire is moving to florida with her grandparents... Read more
Published on April 12, 2007

5.0 out of 5 stars Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a book about two girls named Hailey and Claire. They are spending their last summer together because Claire is moving away to Florida. Read more
Published on April 11, 2007

5.0 out of 5 stars Aquamarine, Never Ending Friendship!! By Shannon C.
Aquamarine is a book about never ending friendship between two girls named Claire and Hailey They go to a place called the Capri everyday, but the Capri... Read more
Published on April 3, 2007

1.0 out of 5 stars NO!
Nothing like the movie. Usually the books are better than the movies, this time it was the other way around! Too short and boring. And the characters were switched around!
Published on February 4, 2007

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aquamarine
Aquamarine is about two teenage girls that are best friends. Their names are Haley and Claire. Read more
Published on January 22, 2007

4.0 out of 5 stars aquamarine
Aquamarine is about a mermaid.aquamarine ran away because one day when she was migrating somewhere she saw to people and they were in love. Read more
Published on November 3, 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a great book for girls who are looking for a short read. It is about two thirteen year old girls named Claire and Hailey. Read more
Published on November 1, 2006

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.