Mermaid Tales #11: The Polar Bear Express by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 128

Summary(goodreads.com):
A lost baby polar bear shares the spotlight with a popular boy band in this Mermaid Tales adventure.
Kiki Coral is thrilled beyond words when she meets a brand-new friend: a baby polar bear! The problem is, the little bear, whose name is Nestor, has floated away from home on a patch of ice and now he’s lost, hungry, and all alone!
Kiki, Shelly, and Echo want to send Nestor back to his home on the Manta Ray Express, but a one-way ticket costs a whopping four jewels! That’s a fortune! Not to mention, all anyone at school can talk about is the Rays, who are performing a concert in Poseidon. Kiki loves the cute boy band as much as the next mergirl, but what about Nestor? Isn’t saving him more important than a concert?
Can Kiki and her friends find a fun way to send their new furry friend home—and hang out with the Rays in the process? 


My Review:
I was really happy when Dadey decided to focus on major environmental issues in this latest mermaid tale, specifically focusing on polar bears, melting ice, and global warming. Not only does this book teach young children about the value of the environment, but how they can help! One way Kiki and her friends raise money is by creating a fundraiser event. 

The only character who always annoys me is Pearl. Would it kill her to not be a spoiled brat for once?? The ending of this book was so sweet that I almost cried :,)!
I loved this mermaid tale! (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie 

Mermaid Tales #9: A Royal Tea by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author:Debbie Dadey
Pages: 112

Summary(goodreads.com):
When Shelly meets the Queen of the Western Oceans in this Mermaid Tales adventure, she encounters a royal dilemma! 
When a royal messenger announces that Queen Edwina is coming to tea, Shelly is as jittery as a jellyfish! After all, the Queen of the Western Oceans is her great aunt. And despite being a princess, Shelly has never met a queen before. How should she act? What should she wear? 
Then Pearl tells Shelly that the queen is going to take Shelly to live in Neptune's Castle: "It's where a real princess would live," Pearl tells her. Shelly is terrified of leaving her home, friends, and beloved grandfather behind. When the royal carriage arrives, she's trembling from the top of her head to the tip of her tail. What will Queen Edwina think of Princess Shelly? And will she really take Shelly away from the home she loves?

My Review:
There seems to be an endless amount of Mermaid Tales books and I can't keep up! I loved that this book focused on Shelly, since I identify with her. She's modest, and that's very important for kids to learn at a young age. I also loved that this book focused on the theme of true friendship. Echo and Kiki are real friends. They are there for her, whether she's a princess or needs help cleaning up her small apartment. Shelly's royal aunt is also very modest, and I love the gift she gave Shelly at the end! This was definitely one of my favorites.  *****( 5 stars).
-Sirenita The Selkie 

(10) Mermaid Tales: Dream Of The Blue Turtle by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 128

Summary(goodreads.com):
Kiki Coral can see the future;can she save a friend from his dangerous fate?

Kiki Coral has an amazing gift: she can see the future. She doesn't have visions very often, but they are always surprising! When Kiki sees a vision of her classmate Rocky Ridge coming face-to-frightening-face with a gigantic leatherback turtle, she is frightened to the tip of her shiny purple tail. Can Kiki save Rocky from his dangerous fate? What if no one in Trident Academy believes her scary prediction?




My Review:
 This is the 7th book in the Mermaid Tales series, and I am starting to get quite bored with these books. First, I wanted to know more about when Kiki first got her visions.  How old was she? What was her first vision? I did love some of the themes and concepts in this book. I loved how it teaches children about trusting their friends, and how to work on a team, I also love that the leatherback  turtle's endangered status was mentioned.

Later on in the story, Pearl forces Kiki to work on their project using plastic bags. How would they know what this is, if they are confused about items in the people museum? The mergirls always question what human items are since they never see them every day.

This wasn't a very exciting mermaid tale, and Marvin the sea turtle, which was the most anticipated sea creature, only appeared for 2 pages!
I give this book (**) 2 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Mermaid Tales #5: The Lost Princess by Debbie Dadey

Book Type: Novel
Author: Debbie Dadey
Pages: 128

Summary(goodreads.com):
Not one of the merkids in Shelly Siren’s third grade class can believe the shell-shattering news: Shelly is a princess! A real princess! It’s been a deep, dark secret in Trident City, but now everyone knows—and Shelly doesn’t know how to act. Should she start wearing a glittery crown? Or move to a grand undersea palace? Will her friends have to call her Princess Shelly? She knows it’s an exciting turn of events, but Shelly’s not sure she can truly fit the royal part. Can she find a way to be a princess and stay herself?

My Review:
I really enjoyed this book! What I loved most about it was Shelly's character and how she is such a good role model. She has all the qualities of a true princess such as kindness, modesty, friendliness and helpfulness as well. This story also reminded me of the classic tale, The Prince and The Pauper. I also really liked that this was a coming-of-age story, and Shelly is learning to grow up and make her own decisions regarding her ancestry. In one instance, Shelly uses her new authority for good instead of being a bully.
Lastly, this book also teaches that real friend will love you no matter what.
This is one of my favorite Mermaid Tales in the series and I give it (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(13) Mermaids in the Backyard by Catherine Hapka

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Catherine Hapka
Pages: 112

Summary(goodreads.com):
Lindy doesn't want to move to the bug house. That's what she calls her family's new beachfront house on stilts. She misses her best friend and her life back in Chicago. But her feelings change during a storm when Lindy hears a cry for help
 . . . from a mermaid! Are there really mermaids in Lindy's backyard? And if so, what can one clumsy girl do to help them?


My Review:
I would first like to state that this book is great for mer-children learning to read chapters. It features short chapters and large text, with the occasional black-and-white picture, but the book was not written in a juvenile way, so adults can enjoy it as well. What I loved about this book was the mermaids Coral and Sealily. They reminded me both of Ariel and her sisters, as well as the way me and my little cousins used to play and tease each other as children. This book almost reminds me of the stories I wrote as a young mergirl, and this put a smile on my face as I continued to read on. I also loved the little yellow seahorse, Finneus. he reminds me of a cat, and has a bit of independence for a little creature! One of the most funniest moments was when he spits water in Sealily's face for trying to make him do tricks, which actually made me laugh :) 
One character really annoyed me, a little boy named Matthew. He is such a brat and aggravated me just reading about him!  He reminds me of all the little bratty kids that run around beaches, looking to disrupt and bother ocean life, or the kids that take wild animals home as pets. Ugh! 
Most of all, this book deals with the uncomfortable issue of moving to another house in a completely new place while adjusting to a new lifestyle as well. I believe young mers who are moving soon should take a look at this book. I believe it will offer some comfort and show them how to be optimistic in troubling times. I loved this whimsical short book, and I would recommend it as a summer read! I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Dear Mermaid by Alan Durant (4)

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Alan Durant
Pages: 32

Summary(amazon.com):
On her first day of vacation, Holly finds a mermaid’s purse on the beach. She wants to give it back, but has a few questions for the mermaid first. Imagine how thrilled Holly is the next day to find the purse again, with a letter inside — and a request to help find a mysterious gold key!

My Review:
As I had expected, this book was just way too much glitter and girliness for my taste. The mermaid is very coloful and bright and she reminds me of a fairy instead of a mermaid. However, I did think it was very cute that there were letters for children to pull out and enjoy! Unfortunately, when I picked up my copy from the library, the letters were all mixed up so it was a little confusing to understand what was going on. Overall, this book was cute, but a little too juvenile for adult readers to enjoy. I give this book (**-***) 2-3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Mermaids by Lucille Recht Penner

Book Type: Mermaid Information/ Children's Literature
Author: Lucille Recht Penner
Pages: 48

Summary(randomhouse.com):
For thousands of years, people have claimed to have spotted mermaids in the waves and on the rocks. Some were beautiful with long flowing hair and lovely voices. But other mermaids liked to drag people down to their watery homes and eat them! If you thought mermaids were just pretty ladies with scaly tails, think again. There is more to these mythical creatures than meets the eye!



My Review:
When I first picked this book up from my local library, I was intrigued. The cover image is very beautiful and makes you want to dive into the pages. However, I was slightly disappointed. Although there are images throughout this book are equally as beautiful as the cover, the information on the pages was nothing new to me, and the reader could find it any other mermaid book. I assume this is because it is meant for children to read. Some of the topics mentioned in this book are mermaids from around the world, both good and bad, as well as some of the hoax mermaids, such as the Feejee Mermaid (yes, that is how it is spelled). What I really do love about this book though is the variety of mermaid pictures which show what mermaids look like in different parts of the world. Overall, I give this book (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Fish In Room 11 by Heather Dyer

Book Type: Children's Novel/ Children's literature
Author: Heather Dyer
Pages: 158

Summary(amazon.com):
Everyone agrees-there's something fishy about the Flots!
Toby can't remember a time he didn't live at the hotel by the sea. Left there as a baby, he's grown up without a family of his own. So when he meets Eliza Flot down by the pier, he takes to her like a fish to water. When he gets to know her parents, that tips the scales even more. In fact, Toby practically joins the family. So what if they're mermaids? But when Toby's friendship with Eliza arouses suspicion,Toby decides to disguise the Flots as hotel guests. But disguising a family with fins and tails is tougher than Toby thinks!

My Review:
Although this book was an easy-to-read children's novel, I really enjoyed it and thought it was quite cute. In fact, I finished it in two days because I loved it so much! Heather Dyer really has brought a certain charm and whimsy to this story. I really liked that this book was not written in a juvenile style, yet it was not written so simply. I also enjoyed the characters, especially the Flots! They're so polite throughout the whole book, as well as outgoing and hilarious! Although I would not add this to my mermaid library since it wasn't as fishy or mermaid-y as I expected, I definitely enjoyed this, and I believe any adult will too. This is also a perfect book for a child who is just starting to read larger novels. I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie