To Catch a Mermaid — Suzanne Selfors

Boom Broom thinks his life can't get any worse. Ever since his mother was swept away by a twister, his father has locked himself in the attic, leaving twelve-year-old Boom to care for his little sister, Mertyle. Low on money, Boom brings home a feisty, seaweed-covered fish from the reject seafood bucket by the docks. But when he puts it on the table, he and Mertyle find that their supper is actually a living, breathing, foul-tempered merbaby.

Boom wants to use the creature to get rich; but Mertyle won't hear of it. She loves the mud-scented baby and wants to keep it for herself. But when they do not return the baby to its ocean home, strange things begin to happen and Boom is afraid they might be cursed! With the help of their Viking housekeeper, Halvor, and his secret society, Boom and his sister must find the home of the merfolk in search of a cure. To Catch a Mermaid is a whimsical fantasy adventure, humorous and entertaining to the last page.