SOLVED. YA Fantasy. Orphan girl who spends a bunch of time in the cellars of a mansion, perhaps has magical powers? moves from orphanage to massive house (in Scotland/ Ireland?). Cover: red girl, blue shadow-monsters. Read in early 2000s. Spoiler. [s]

[Sara]

This was a chapter book for 10+ years, not a picture book. I believe it won an award, but I may be mistaken, and I believe it was written fairly recently (at least within the latter half of the previous century or this century). The edition I read was a fairly modern publication, the front cover depicted a red girl (painted in watercolour) and some blue shadow-monsters behind and above her.
I read this book sometime in the early 2000s.
The plot was about a girl, orphaned (or so she thought) who had always had her hair cut short at the orphanage where she used to live. She goes to live in a massive house (possibly in Scotland/Ireland) and discovers its cellars. Through this she discovers her clumsiness was due to her hair being cut short, and that she can see in the dark when it's long. She finds out at the end that her mother was a kelpie/mermaid or similar mythical sea creature (if I remember correctly).

Please can anyone help? I can't remember the title or author.

[Genesistrine]

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley.

[Kris]

Sara, how far into the book do you learn her long hair allows her to see in the dark?

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[Sara]

The Folk Keeper! That is it! Thank you so much! I searched for more than 5 hours yesterday in various online databases for this book.

Solved!

[Paige]

Seconding Genesistrine on The Folk Keeper.