Mermaid School
Mermaid School
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Harry N Abrams, Inc.
Just the Series: Mermaid School Vol. 1   

Series and Publisher: Mermaid School   

Annotation: A sweet and sparkling chapter book series about finding your place and believing in yourself! It’s Marnie Blue’s first d... more
Genre: [Fantasy fiction]
 
Reviews: 2
Catalog Number: #6644539
Format: Paperback
Special Formats: Chapter Book Chapter Book
Copyright Date: 2020
Edition Date: 2020 Release Date: 02/18/20
Illustrator: Dempsey, Sheena,
Pages: 116 pages
ISBN: 1-419-74519-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-419-74519-5
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2019953514
Dimensions: 21 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A new student at Mermaid School is bullied.Marnie's levelheaded mother assures her Mermaid School's lovely while Christabel, her vivacious celebrity aunt, recalls getting into loads of trouble—mostly earned, as she was a rule-averse prankster. In an often seen trope, Marnie's first encounter with a fellow student is with bully Orla. The teachers, remembering the chaos Christabel left in her wake, aren't inclined to give Marnie the benefit of the doubt when she falls victim to someone else's prank—obviously Orla's. But when Orla's meanness is noticed by other students, who then shun her, Marnie sympathizes with her, learning the rather convoluted root of Orla's hostility. Evidently Christabel promised to play Orla's sister's song on the radio but didn't, depriving Orla's sister of a showbiz career and forcing her to go and work in the dangerous Gulf of Mexico, where she's gone missing after a hurricane. Following formula to a T, Orla runs off and gets in trouble, and Marnie follows after to save her, and then everyone becomes friends. From a character-development standpoint, Marnie's goodness is undermined by her lack of personality. Marnie, her family, her best friend, and Orla are white; mermaids of color are present as second-tier characters. Readers who notice a throwaway line about Marnie's absentee father's career mining natural gas may hope for further exploration in sequels.Unless mermaids really float your boat, toss this one back out to sea. (Fantasy. 7-11)

School Library Journal (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2020)

Gr 2-4 Marnie Blue is nervous for her first day at Lady Sealia Foam's Mermaid School. On top of the usual first-day jitters, Marnie is worried everyone will find out her aunt is Christabel Blue, the famous singer and former school troublemaker. Marnie gets herself in trouble during a failed attempt at completing a dare by classmate Orla. Marnie learns Orla's grudge has to do with three things: Marnie's aunt; Orla's sister; and a promise to play a demo tape on the air of Christabel's radio show. When Orla's sister disappears in a hurricane and Orla leaves out of anger and frustration, Marnie puts their differences aside, borrows a school seahorse, and goes out to look for Orla. All's well that ends well in this tale of friendship, bravery, and doing what is right. Courtenay weaves many sea references and a few factual details into the fictional narrative, while Dempsey's charming illustrations help to bring the characters to life. VERDICT This first installment of the "Mermaid School" series is a fun addition to any collection for young patrons who love mermaid tales and books about friendship. Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa

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Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)
School Library Journal (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2020)
Word Count: 14,070
Reading Level: 4.4
Interest Level: 1-4
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 4.4 / points: 2.0 / quiz: 510811 / grade: Lower Grades
Guided Reading Level: O
Fountas & Pinnell: O

A sweet and sparkling chapter book series about finding your place and believing in yourself!

It’s Marnie Blue’s first day at Lady Sealia Foam’s Mermaid School, and she’s terrified. What if she can’t make friends? What if she has to ride a seahorse? And what if the teachers assume she’s just like her Aunt Christabel, a famous singer who was a troublemaker growing up. Even though Marnie is sweet and tries her best to fit in, a mermaid named Orla seems intent on getting her in trouble. But when Orla finds herself in danger, Marnie has to swim to the rescue! Filled with fabulous, fishy fun, Mermaid School is the start of a sparkly new chapter-book series that’s sure to enchant young readers.


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