Artwork by Paddy Donnelly
Summer was supposed to be Ginika's time for fun, friends and fairs. But instead she's been sent to live at the dead-end seaside boarding house her grandparents run. Even though her parents say it's just for a little while, she can't help feeling abandoned and heartbroken to be missing out on everything she loves back home.
And then she meets Peri. He leaps and dives through the water like a dolphin and he talks like a burst of bubbles. He's not exactly a mermaid, but he's definitely something Ginika's never seen before.
His family is far away too, but unlike Ginika, he loves his independence. As Ginika shows Peri her world, she starts to feel free as well. They don't need anyone else when they've got each other. But then the lights and noise of the human world start to change Peri. And when things spin out of control, Ginika must be the bravest she's ever been to face her fears and make the hardest decision of her life.
Join Ginika and Peri as they dive beneath the waves and walk the lands that will take them into each other's worlds on an adventure they will never forget and a life-changing friendship.
“I loved Clare's book. Every sentence a sea sparkle, luring me into new and beautiful worlds beneath the surface where myth and evolutionary magic meet. Marvellous!” ― Zillah Bethell, author of The Shark Caller
"A story to startle and enchant readers, and surely one of the most original books of the year" ― Love Reading 4 Kids
“This is a very exciting, unusual and truly imaginative adventure story which is expertly told. It's at once easy to read and also magical and lyrical” ― Book Trust
“The Storm Swimmer is a fantastic story of friendship against all odds and also the joy of accepting yourself for who you are and not what others expect you to be. Paddy Donnelly’s illustrations capture both worlds with superb colours and details that make you want to find the nearest ocean and dive in!” ― My Book Corner