Mystery book help!

[MountainWitch]

I'm trying to remember the title of a book I had as a child (early 90s is when I read it). It was a collection of short stories about children with different disabilities.

One of the stories was about a boy who limped, possibly had cerebral palsy, who sees seals in the sea one day and decides to try swimming.

I think there may also have been a story about a mermaid, and one about an autistic boy and horses. But I remember the boy swimming with seals the best.

Think it had a blue cover that featured that story. Google is being no help and it's driving me mad!

Ring any bells?!

The story about the boy with cerebral palsy sounds like Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman www.amazon.co.uk/Seal-Surfer-Michael-Foreman/dp/1842705784?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Possibly this was in a collection with other stories?

I have 100% read this and I CANNOT help

How frustrating

Oh Fine no way! Keep thinking
Will have a look at Seal Surfer. My mum kept loads of my childhood books but not this one, unfortunately

I'm actually really frustrated now because I can see it in minds eye

Seal surfer's not the one I remember
I'll keep googling

Something sticks about a marble or a pearl. I know the exact book you mean, I've googled loads tonight.

They were basically disability fables but I've tried googling that too.

How about The Spell Singer and Other Stories edited by Beverley Mathias childrensbookshop.com/book-60391.html

@MountainWitch the short story collection I mention above has a story in it by Michael Morpurgo called Gone to Sea which I’m pretty certain is the one you refer to about the limping boy who becomes a seal. It’s also in his later collection The White Horse of Zennor.

@MountainWitch

It is the Spell Singer It is!

@pollyhemlock

How the hell did you find that?

Oh my WORD pollyhemlock that is IT! He does become a seal, I had forgotten that!
Thanks so much! I knew mumsnet would help. How did you find it?!

Well I checked some back issues of the online children’s book magazine Books for Keeps from the early 90s and that collection looked likely. I had a feeling that story was Morpurgo. I enjoy these mystery books threads- gives me something else to think about apart from the current awfulness!

God, Books For Keeps, blast from the past

Yes, it’s still going as an online publication. I miss the paper version but all the back numbers are available online for children’s book nerds like me.

Well thank you for doing so! And I have a fantastic new resource at my fingertips now too