Aria of the Sea

Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror

IRA Teacher's Choice

A Best Children's Book, Bank Street College of Education

Kentucky Blue Grass Award Reading List

About Aria of the Sea

On the island of Normost in the Kingdom of Windward, thirteen-year-old Cerinthe Gale is a folk healer who dreams of being a dancer. When her mother falls ill, Cerinthe fights to save her--but fails. She blames herself for her mother's death and gives up healing.

Following her dream to dance, Cerinthe sails across Windward to audition at the School of the Royal dancers, which accepts her even though she's a commoner. It should be the beginning of a brillian future for Cerinthe, but problems mount. A misunderstanding with a young man, a conflict with a cruel teacher, a rivalry with an aristocratic student named Elliana, and a meeting with a mederi--a skilled healer said to have magical powers--create another crisis.

When the rivalry between Cerinthe and Elliana cuases a terrible accident, Elliana's life hangs in the balance. Cerinthe faces the same awful choice she had faced with her mother. Should she try to heal Elliana and risk accidentally killing her--or wiat and hope that the mederi arrives in time? Only the Song of the Sea Main holds the answer.