Isabel of the Whales Series by Hester Velmans

Eleven-year-old Isabel is a “plain old” girl living in Provincetown, Massachusetts, who believes that she is destined to accomplish something special. When her fifth-grade class goes on a whale-watch field trip, something amazing happens: Dozens of different species of whales surround the boat, bumping the deck and sending Isabel flying into the ocean... moreEleven-year-old Isabel is a “plain old” girl living in Provincetown, Massachusetts, who believes that she is destined to accomplish something special. When her fifth-grade class goes on a whale-watch field trip, something amazing happens: Dozens of different species of whales surround the boat, bumping the deck and sending Isabel flying into the ocean. Isabel is shocked to hear the whales speaking to her—she is a mermaid, they tell her, a “Chosen One” who has the ability to turn from a human into a whale and back again. She is destined to live among the whales long enough to learn their ways, and teach them about the human world. Living among her pod is fun, at first, but Isabel has an important mission. She will change the whales’ future forever, and learn a lot about herself in the process.From the Hardcover edition. less

A sixty-ton humpback whale lies stranded, gasping for breath, on the sands of Cape Cod... and there's just one girl in the world who knows who he is. When Jessaloup is transformed into a boy, Isabel has to teach him to walk, talk, and act human, so that together they can raise the alarm about a terrible natural disaster that's threatening the East Coast... moreA sixty-ton humpback whale lies stranded, gasping for breath, on the sands of Cape Cod... and there's just one girl in the world who knows who he is. When Jessaloup is transformed into a boy, Isabel has to teach him to walk, talk, and act human, so that together they can raise the alarm about a terrible natural disaster that's threatening the East Coast. With the calamity's deadline drawing near, the two teens must overcome skepticism, jealousies, misunderstandings, and even some atrociously bad music, if they are to Save the Humans. A follow-up to the "magical" Isabel of the Whales, Jessaloup's Song clears up the mystery of Isabel's origins, while exploring teenage love and celebrating the family ties that bind all species. less