Reading In Spanish

Day 119: I am actually reading in Spanish! Mind you, this does not mean I am reading Spanish words and translating them to English in my head. It means I am reading Spanish, and understanding the meaning as I read, only occasionally having to think, "Oh, that would be 'capacity to generate their own light" when I read "capaz de generar su propia luz." And this book is wonderful! I picked it up on a whim at the library yesterday because it seemed to be something which would challenge my reading level but not be so far above it as to be discouraging. I expected a cute tale about an ice-mermaid, but what I got was much more. The author delivers a lot of accurate natural history as she tells the story, as well as historical context. I've learned quite a bit about marine life in just the first chapter. There's science in this fantasy, good science, presented in such a manner that it would stick in young minds (and my old one as well). So far, I have not had to refer to a dictionary even though I don't understand a lot of the vocabulary. I find that if I just keep reading, it will become clear. I'll be looking for other books by the same author.