Review - Rise of the Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste

After defeating the evil jumbie Severine, you'd think the people on Corinne LeMar's island home would be praising her. Instead they fear her. She's half jumbie after all and can't be trusted because of it. And when children start disappearing Corinne is the first suspect on everyone's list. To clear her name and rescue the missing children, Corinne must tag up with her old friends and seek out a water jumbie, Mama D'Leau. But Mama D'Leau won't help Corinne and her friends without aking a bargain. Her friends must travel with mermaids across the ocean to Ghana to retrieve a magical object before Mama D'Leau will tell Corinne what happened to the missing children. With everything against her, Corinne must once again rely on her friends and her courage to save the missing kids and her reputation.

This sequel to the Jumbies is once again rich with Caribbean lore as well as some African lore as the children travel to Ghana. There's so much imagination and heart in this story as Corinne and her friends from The Jumbies explore the ocean with mermaids and learn to band together to solve impossible problems. Corinne continues to be a determined character who find strength in herself and her friends. She keeps fighting until she achieves her goals despite any obstacles thrown her way. I recommend The Jumbies and Rise of the Jumbies to any young readers seeking out stories with adventure, determination, friendship, and imagination.