Vera and Beaker explore the ocean, in this series perfect for beginning readers! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow! Swim along with mermaid Vera and octo-kid Beaker! In these three stories, Vera and Beaker make new friends both big and small. First, they go on a field trip to the tide pools and meet the small animals who live there. Then, Vera and Beaker meet friendly sea monsters, and show them around the town of Tidal Grove! With text from Stonewall Award-winning author Kyle Lukoff, and bright, colorful artwork from artist Kat Uno, Mermaid Days is sure to be every young reader’s favorite new series. Each book also includes a page of nonfiction ocean information; in this book, readers will learn all about tide pools. Balancing easy-to-read text, endless humor and charm, light nonfiction, and a loveable cast of underwater creatures, these laugh-out-loud stories are the perfect fit for new readers! K-Gr 2—Children who love the idea of living under the sea, especially when a mermaid and a kraken are some of the undersea denizens, will enjoy the setting and characters of this beginning reader book. Vera has a purple mermaid tail, and her best friend Beaker is an orange octopus from the waist down. These friends live in Tidal Grove along with two other friends and two adults, their teacher and librarian. This story, which is part of Acorn's "Mermaid Days" series, has three short chapters. Text is contained in speech bubbles that match the color of the character's body, and illustrations are bright and clean. Harmless adventures contain aspects of ordinary life, such as a trip to the tide pools, as well as fantasy, including two encounters with a legendary monster that has been sleeping and dreaming for 100 years. Characters are sweet and curious, though sometimes clueless; for example, Beaker drops some sunglasses he found on the tentacles of the kraken and thinks the soft, suction-covered surface is just squishy coral. Unfortunately, the stories are not overly engaging and the inclusion of animals from different habitats is somewhat random. Why have a dragonfly at the tide pools when dragonflies live near freshwater wetland habitats? Why is the librarian a frog when all the other characters are ocean dwellers? The final pages show how to draw a kraken and invite readers to write about meeting their own sea monster. VERDICT Beginning readers will enjoy the undersea setting and characters.—Sally James Praise for The Sea Monster (Mermaid Days #2): "Three self-contained short chapters are told primarily through dialogue, with color-coded speech bubbles relaying enthusiastic, inquisitive conversations... Bright, buoyant and magical, this is a swimmingly fine choice for beginning readers." -- Booklist Praise for Too Bright to See , by Kyle Lukoff: * “This coming-of-age and coming-out story takes a needed departure from other stories about transgender youth… Haunting and healing.” -- Kirkus , starred review * "Smart and thought-provoking.... Lukoff provides a tender rumination on grief, love, and identity." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review * “Equal parts unsettling, heartwarming, and satisfying…a nuanced and compelling exploration of gender, friendship, and family.” -- Booklist , starred review * "A hopeful examination of grief and gender, and a good ghost story to boot." – School Library Journal , starred review ​​​​​​​ Praise for When Aidan Became a Brother , by Kyle Lukoff: ​​​​​​​Best Books of 2019, Kirkus Reviews ​​​​​​​Best Books of 2019, School Library Journal ​​​​​​​Editors' Choices for Books for Youth, Booklist Best of the Best Books of 2019, Chicago Public Library ​​​​​​​* "Joyful and affirming, Aidan's story is the first of its kind among books for welcoming a new baby." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review ​​​​​​​* "The creators' exploration of one transgender child's experience emphasizes the importance of learning "how to love someone for exactly who they are." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review ​​​​​​​* "A heartfelt celebration of love." -- Booklist , starred review Kyle Lukoff is a National Book Award finalist and the Newbery and Stonewall Award-winning author of multiple books for young readers, including When Aidan Became a Brother , Call Me Max , and Too Bright to See . Kyle spent eight years as an elementary school librarian, but now he writes full time, assists in sensitivity readings and consultations, and presents on children’s and youth literature all across the country. He got hired at a bookstore when he was sixteen, which means he’s been working at the intersection of books and people for well over half his life. He lives in Philadelphia. Visit him online