Children/YA Fantasy about a family who move into a beach house and inherit a bunch of mermaids

[subtlemurder]

I remember reading this book when I was younger than 10 years old (mid 90s). If memory serves me right, it was a hardcover book with a yellow front cover. What I remember most about this book was that it was set on the beach. This family moves into a house that they are looking after or have inherited from grandparents or an uncle or something similar. The house is built half on land and half into the ocean on massive stilts. The kids notice there's this weird trapdoor built into the floor of the middle of the house, and when they open it, it opens to the sea below.

This trapdoor was used to winch mermaids and mermen up and out of the water. I believe they also used this trapdoor to feed the mermaids/men with fish. I can't remember how the book ends, only that when this family moves in to the house they discover that they have also inherited a bunch of mermaids they have to try and help.

I'm pretty sure that I read it two or three times as a kid. I remember really enjoying it, but I can't remember the name of it nor the author. All Google searches bring up nothing. The title may or may not have had the word 'beach' in it. I'm not sure.

[Rainbowheart]

The Secret Beach?

[subtlemurder]

The name sounds really familiar but the summary of the story isn't giving me enough to clarify if that's the book or not. I'm going to research The Secret Beach a little more because I am hoping that this is the one!!! *fingers crossed*

[subtlemurder]

I e-mailed Jackie French and asked her if she recalls whether or not her book contains any elements of the book I'd read, and she informed me that she doesn't remember there being a trapdoor in her book.

Darn it! I thought we might have been onto a winner! Thanks for your help anyway Rainbowheart! :) :) I really appreciate it!

[Rainbowheart]

No worries, I hope we can still track it down. I'll keep looking.

[subtlemurder]

You're a gem. 😊😊 I'm going to find a copy of The Secret Beach anyway as Jackie said it's one of the first books she wrote before her books became really popular. I think it'd be a nice one to have for my book collection. 😊

[Rosa]

I love The Little Book of Big Questions, by her!

[subtlemurder]

I've not seen that one before Rosa. I'll have to look into it. I'm always looking for things for my 3yo nice, and this looks like it could be a good one for her to grow into. ☺️

[Rainbowheart]

Seaside Mystery?

Ever-After Island?

The Mermaid Summer?

The Mermaid at No. 13?

Can you remember if the kids in the family were boys or girls or both? It was definitely a chapter book/novel?

[subtlemurder]

From my recollection it would have been a boy and a girl child. And it was definitely a chapter book. The version I had was a hard cover and I'm sure it was a yellow or mustard coloured book. From what I recall they slowly discovered the mermaids, and it was as if the mermaids had been previously taken care of, hence the trap door. I remember the house smelled of fish, and I remember they used a pulley system to hoist the mermaids up through the trapdoor for some reason. Someone way have been hunting them and the kids removed them so they wouldn't be found. These are my only memories of the book. It's honestly driving me nuts that I can't google search it and just find the information. 😂

[Rainbowheart]

What country did you read it in? I just noticed the way you spelled "coloured."

[subtlemurder]

I'm from Australia. I can't remember if the book was set in Australia or not. 😅

[Kris]

Andrée, did you eliminate the books suggested by Rainbowheart in Message #9? Here's one cover and another description of Mermaid at No. 13 by Gyles Brandreth.

[subtlemurder]

Hi Kris. I had a look at the ones suggested, but they don't have a familiar synopsis. 😢 I really appreciate all of the help though. I even have my work colleagues searching for me too. 😂

[Rainbowheart]

I'd be willing to bet it's either Australian or British. Those are so hard to track down.

Kevin's Mermaid?

Billie Dipper Braves the Ghosts / Billie Dipper Saves the Mermaid?

[subtlemurder]

Rainbowheart thank you for the suggestions. Those ones seem a little young. I can't remember exactly how old I was when I read it, but it read like something an 8-11 year old might read.

I'd say the genre was adventure/mystery, too. I just wish I could remember more information because every single Google search I do has turned up dust.

[Kate]

Andree ~~
You can "bump" your thread every month or so. This pushes your thread back to the top of the folder instead of languishing here on page 143 where fewer eyes will see it. Get back in the game! Bump!
You can do this by typing a new comment at the end of the thread, or even by typing the word "bump."
Good luck!

[subtlemurder]

Bump

[Rainbowheart]

Edith and the Mermaids?

There's also The Fish in Room 11, but it's from '04.

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking, Andree?

[subtlemurder]

Sporadically, yes. But almost given up hope of anyone remembering this book. :(

[Rainbowheart]

Don't give up hope! It's out there somewhere. We've had threads solved after many years.

Did you definitely rule out Edith and the Mermaids and The Fish in Room 11, mentioned above?