Eleven-year-old Anthoni Gillis is not the kind of kid who believes in fairies, unicorns, or even the word maybe. Shes more of a comic-books girl. So when her mom brings her to Thunder Lake for a summer at the Showboat Resort, she doesnt believe the local rumors about the Boulay Mermaid.

Anthoni has bigger fish to fry. Shes always wanted a True Blue Friend. But its been hard to find one, since for the past five years shes been bouncing from town to town, helping her mother sell Beauty & the Bee cosmetic products to keep them both afloat. This summer will be different, though. Anthoni has a plana foolproof checklist for making lifelong friends! There wont be any maybes this time.

But as she grows entangled in local gossip, and her mother stretches the truth, Anthoni must decide if shell stick to the plan, like always, or dive into a summer full of extraordinary possibilities.