A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids– plus an environmental twist.

It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings– the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid?

As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. But does she have what it takes to be a hero?

A tale rich with folk magic, set in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, Bayou Magic celebrates hope and the magic within– and captures the wonder of life in the Deep South.