Emily Windsnap Books in Order: The Mermaid Adventures of Liz Kessler’s Beloved Half-Human Heroine
Liz Kessler’s Emily Windsnap series combines mermaid fantasy, friendship, family mysteries, adventure, and plenty of underwater magic. Emily begins the series as a twelve-year-old girl living with her mother on a boat, with no idea why her mother has always been so determined to keep her away from the water.
Once Emily discovers her mermaid identity, she becomes part of a much larger world beneath the surface. The later books expand that world with ancient curses, sea monsters, lost souls, pirates, time travel, and even a mysterious connection between sea and sky.
Emily Windsnap Books in Order
1. The Tail of Emily Windsnap
The Tail of Emily Windsnap introduces Emily, a twelve-year-old girl who has spent most of her life living on a houseboat with her mother. Her mother has always forbidden her from swimming, but when Emily finally gets into the water, she discovers the astonishing reason why: she transforms into a mermaid.
Her discovery opens the door to a secret underwater world and raises even bigger questions about her absent father and her family’s past. The first book establishes Emily’s friendship with Shona and introduces the mermaid society, Neptune, and the magical setting that drives the rest of the series.
2. Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep
Emily is settling into her new life around Allpoints Island when she accidentally awakens something that should have remained asleep. A legendary kraken rises from its hundred-year slumber, putting Emily and the people she cares about in danger.
With Shona and another unexpected ally, Emily has to find a way to stop the monster before its anger destroys everything around them. The second book expands the underwater world while bringing more of Emily’s personal history into the adventure.
3. Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
A mysterious diamond ring leads Emily into one of the series’ most important magical mysteries. When the ring becomes stuck on her finger, Emily learns that it is connected to an ancient curse created by Neptune.
The consequences are frightening because the curse threatens to change Emily’s identity permanently and force her to lose one of her parents. Emily must find the missing half of the magical key before time runs out.
4. Emily Windsnap and the Siren’s Secret
Emily’s family has finally found some stability on Allpoints Island, but peace does not last for long. Neptune sends the Windsnap family back to their former home in Brightport, where construction threatens a hidden mermaid community.
Emily has to help bring humans and merpeople together while also dealing with old enemies, her growing feelings for Aaron, and a mystery involving missing sirens. The story pushes Emily further into the role of someone who can bridge the human and mermaid worlds.
5. Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun
Emily and Aaron travel to a strange and dangerous northern setting where an alpine lake hides magical secrets. There they discover reflections that reveal possibilities of what might have been, along with a collection of stolen memories.
The adventure also exposes a darker secret involving Neptune. The fifth book deepens the mythology of the series while giving Emily and Aaron one of their most challenging journeys yet.
6. Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls
A school field trip takes an unexpected turn when Emily and Aaron discover a mysterious ghost ship that seems to exist between different states of reality. Their investigation reveals a story involving a ship caught between land and sea, day and night, and life and death.
Emily’s unusual ability to move between the human and mermaid worlds becomes essential when the friends discover a connection to Atlantis. She must enter a dangerous underwater realm and bring the ship’s passengers home before the portal closes.
7. Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island
Emily expects a peaceful tropical vacation with her friends and family, but an adventure soon finds her anyway. After being swept through a powerful waterfall, Emily discovers a mysterious forgotten island whose inhabitants believe an ancient prophecy could save them from a devastating earthquake.
The prophecy appears to involve Emily, Aaron, and a mysterious giant. What begins as a holiday quickly becomes a race to uncover the truth and determine whether Emily and Aaron can help prevent disaster.
8. Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince
Emily’s journey takes a completely different turn when the cruise ship carrying her home is taken over by pirates. The situation becomes personal when the pirate king’s eldest son kidnaps Aaron, forcing Emily to join the younger son’s crew to rescue him.
As Emily becomes increasingly comfortable with pirate life, she finds herself questioning what she really wants. Alongside the pirate adventure, riddles, treasure, and the legendary Trident’s Treasure give the story a fast-moving swashbuckling feel.
9. Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time
Emily discovers that a magical stone can show her possible versions of the future, but what she sees is deeply troubling. Every attempt to change the future seems to produce another disastrous outcome for either Brightport’s humans or Shiprock’s merpeople.
Emily eventually realizes that saving her world cannot be something she does alone. With Shona and Mandy beside her, she must find a way to bring humans and merpeople together and create a future in which both communities can thrive.
10. Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves
Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves is the tenth main Emily Windsnap novel and was published in 2025 as part of the series’ twentieth-anniversary celebration.
Emily discovers a mysterious bangle containing a unique crystal beneath Rainbow Rocks. When she learns that the crystal originally came from Halflight Castle, she and Shona return there and reunite with Aaron, while Neptune and the Viking god Thor become involved in the mystery.
The investigation leads Emily and her friends into a cave filled with crystals and reveals a problem that could have serious consequences for both the sea and the sky. To prevent disaster, the friends must somehow convince two extremely powerful and self-interested rulers to cooperate.
Do You Need to Read Emily Windsnap in Order?
Yes, especially if you are reading the series for the first time.
Although each book has its own adventure, Emily’s relationships, family history, mermaid identity, and understanding of the underwater world develop throughout the series. Characters such as Shona and Aaron become increasingly important, while earlier discoveries continue to influence later adventures.
The numbered order is therefore the best way to experience Emily’s story from the beginning rather than jumping into one of the later adventures.
The World of Emily Windsnap Early Reader Books
Liz Kessler and illustrator Joanie Stone also created The World of Emily Windsnap, a separate series of illustrated early-reader chapter books based on the original novels. These books are aimed at a younger audience, generally ages 5 to 8, rather than the 8-to-12 audience of the main Emily Windsnap novels.
They are not replacements for the ten main novels, so readers looking for the original Emily Windsnap story should start with The Tail of Emily Windsnap.
1. The World of Emily Windsnap: Emily’s Big Discovery
This younger-reader adaptation introduces Emily’s first transformation into a mermaid. It retells the basic premise of the original series in a shorter, more accessible format with colorful illustrations.
2. The World of Emily Windsnap: Shona Finds Her Voice
This story focuses on Emily’s best friend, Shona Silkfin. Shona loves singing but is too nervous to perform in front of others, and Emily helps her find the confidence to take part in a school talent show.
3. The World of Emily Windsnap: The Truth About Aaron
Aaron takes center stage in this early reader when his treasured trident pendant disappears. Emily and Shona help him investigate, leading Aaron to discover an important secret about his family and the royal meaning behind the pendant.
4. The World of Emily Windsnap: Dolphin Rescue
Emily, Shona, and Aaron encounter dolphins trapped in nets and become suspicious of a place called Sea Park. Their attempt to help the dolphins turns into an adventure about protecting sea animals and questioning whether marine creatures should be kept in captivity.
5. The World of Emily Windsnap: Emily’s Great Idea
Emily and Mandy discover that a pier containing homes, animals, plants, and an amusement park is scheduled to be demolished. With help from Shona and Aaron, they come up with a creative plan involving a sunken pirate ship and an underwater playground.
6. The World of Emily Windsnap: The Secret of Mystery Island
The sixth early-reader adventure sends Emily, Mandy, and their friends on a boat trip around Mystery Island. When a cranky kraken interferes with the boat and its technology, Emily and her friends must figure out how to calm the creature and get everyone safely home. Penguin Random House currently lists this as Book 6, with publication scheduled for May 2027.
Are the Early Reader Books the Same as the Main Emily Windsnap Series?
No. The two series are connected, but they serve different age groups.
The Emily Windsnap series consists of the ten original middle-grade fantasy novels written by Liz Kessler, while The World of Emily Windsnap is a separate early-reader series based on that world. The early readers use shorter stories and more illustrations and are designed for younger children.
If a child is ready for middle-grade novels, start with The Tail of Emily Windsnap. For a younger reader who is just beginning chapter books, Emily’s Big Discovery is the better entry point.
What Age Are the Emily Windsnap Books For?
The original Emily Windsnap novels are generally aimed at children around 8 to 12 years old. Candlewick lists Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves, for example, for ages 8 to 12 and grades 3 to 7.
The newer World of Emily Windsnap books are designed for younger readers, generally ages 5 to 8, with shorter 64-page stories and more illustrations.
About Liz Kessler
Liz Kessler is a British author best known for children’s and young adult fiction. Her official website describes Emily Windsnap as the story of an ordinary girl who discovers that she becomes a mermaid when she enters the water, while her broader work includes fantasy, time travel, and contemporary young adult fiction.
Kessler has also explained her fascination with the sea and the mystery of what might exist beyond what humans know about the ocean. That fascination is easy to see in Emily Windsnap, where mermaids, underwater communities, ancient legends, and magical sea creatures become part of Emily’s everyday world.
FAQ About Emily Windsnap Books
How many Emily Windsnap books are there?
There are currently 10 main Emily Windsnap novels, ending with Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves. The tenth book was published in 2025.
What is the first Emily Windsnap book?
The first book is The Tail of Emily Windsnap, originally published in 2003. It introduces Emily and her discovery that she becomes a mermaid when she enters the water.
Is Emily Windsnap a mermaid?
Emily is actually a half-mermaid, half-human character. Her unusual identity is one of the central mysteries of the series and is closely connected to her family history.
Is Emily Windsnap finished?
The original series now has ten published books, with Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves serving as Book 10. Liz Kessler’s official site currently lists nine books, but the publisher’s current series page and Candlewick both identify Crystal Caves as Book 10, so the publisher information is the more current source.
Should I read The World of Emily Windsnap before the main books?
No. The early-reader books are companion stories based on the original series and are aimed at younger children. If you want Emily’s main story, start with The Tail of Emily Windsnap and continue through Book 10.
What comes after Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time?
Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves comes next. It is Book 10 and was published in 2025, five years after The Tides of Time.
Final Verdict
The Emily Windsnap series is best enjoyed from beginning to end because Emily’s identity, friendships, family relationships, and understanding of the mermaid world develop across the books. Start with The Tail of Emily Windsnap, follow the numbered order through Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time, and then read Emily Windsnap and the Crystal Caves as the tenth main adventure.
For younger readers, The World of Emily Windsnap offers a separate, more accessible way into the same magical world, beginning with Emily’s Big Discovery.
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