Magnus Fin and the Selkie Secret

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Middle grade fantasy adventure based on traditional folklore, from an award-winning author

On his eleventh birthday, schoolboy Magnus Fin found out that he is half selkie -- part human, part seal. Although he looks like a boy and lives on land, he can breathe underwater.

When a rusty metal chest is flung ashore in a storm, Magnus Fin decides to investigate. But he injures his hand on the strange box, and his sealskin starts to show through. His teacher realizes that there's something very unusual about Magnus Fin -- and rumors start to spread.

Deep in the ocean, the great sea god Neptune has problems of his own. The treasures of wisdom have been stolen, and his memory and powers are fading fast. Could his missing treasure be inside the chest that's been washed ashore? Magnus Fin is the only one who can find out and restore order under the sea. But a young journalist is investigating the rumours about 'fish people'. Can Magnus Fin complete his mission before the selkie secret is revealed and his selkie family are forced to leave the bay forever?

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Kirkus Book Review

Magnus Fin, half-human, half-selkie, is thrilled when a sea storm washes up a box sure to contain riches. When he tries to open it though, the box releases a burst of red light that leaves his hand throbbing. Worse, it tears a layer of his human skin to reveal seal skin. With this, two chains of events are set in motion: A news reporter gets wind of Fin's oddities, and Fin is asked to return the box to King Neptune. After healing his hand, Fin's selkie grandmother explains that the chest contains a wealth of wisdom desperately needed by Neptune to rule prudently. However, the key has been lost. She asks Fin to keep the selkie secret even as he finds the key and delivers both it and the treasure to the king. The story is a continuation of adventures begun in two earlier books, and children who have not read them may feel lost when Magnus, in his quest, must revisit a monster's castle that he previously destroyed. Some characters and situations are not fully described, and the environmental theme feels tacked-on here. Even some new plot developments feel slight and their resolutions pat, such as the reporter who decides to do good rather than seek sensation. Readership may be limited to fans of the earlier Magnus Fin books and those enamored of under-the-sea adventures. (Fantasy. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.