"The Mermaid's Twin Sister" is a collection of fairytales from the Trinidad culture. Set in Trinidad, where young Amber has be chosen by her great-aunt, Tante, to be her successor in passing down the stories, traditions, and values of their culture down to the children in the family, the book is filled with cultural richness and lively language. Amber devotedly records all of Tante's stories in a way that is both keeping with tradition but also engaging for international readers. ( )

Summary: This book follows Amber and her Tantie, or grandaunt who tells the best stories in all of Trinidad. Amber's cousins have just had a baby and they are all gathering for the christening when there is news that the priest has been accidentally trapped and can not get out. In order to entertain the children, Tantie tells the children stories about the legends surrounding their culture. It does not stop at the christening, but continues whenever the family is all together.

Personal reflection: The stories were really interesting to read, especially because I do not know too much about the Caribbean and the legends.

Class use: This book would be useful to teach students about other cultures and could teach them about origin stories. Then, encourage student's to write their own origin stories based on something from their own culture. ( )

I knew nothing about Trinidad before reading this book. Through these tales I found the culture to be very interesting. It gives a glimpse into the family life of a Trinidadian family. All while being so vibrant. ( )

This book is a great short novel. That contains short stories. Can be good for teaching students how folktales are told and the importance of those tales ( )