Mermaid School

Mermaid School is the first in the series of the Mermaid school series by Lucy Courtenay. The story starts with Marnie Blue's first day at 'Lady Sealia Foam's Mermaid School' and her nerves are kicking in. With a Mum who was very well behaved at school and her famous Aunty who wasn't, she is unsure of how her first day will go and what it will be like. In the event, Marnie's first day wasn't quite what she planned when she finds herself in the headteachers office for releasing a sea snake in assembly from her bag, although she didn't put it there, so who did? The teachers all seem to think Marnie is just like her naughty Aunty and not at all like her mother and she keeps finding herself in trouble, thanks to Orla Finnegan and her cruel tricks. It is only when Orla goes missing that differences are put aside, and Marnie and her best friend Pearl Cockle go on the adventure to find her using their knowledge and the help from a few seahorses! The book is a sweet tale of friendship and an escape to under the sea, which is perfect for any mermaid lover, with lovely illustrations by Sheena Dempsey which bring the bring the story to life. The story is perfect for children who are new to reading with short chapters and enjoy mermaids. Mermaid School is left on a great cliffhanger, which sets us up for the next installment. 120 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Lauren Maidman, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

A lovely chapter book, suitable for early readers who are gaining confidence and beginning to build their stamina. The story starts with Marnie Blue who is about to embark on her first day of mermaid school. Marnie is nervous in case she doesn't make any friends and in case she has to learn new skills that she isn't very good at. Her biggest worry is her family reputation; her Aunt Christabel is a famous singer now but was quite troublesome when she was growing up! Marnie's worries come true when she meets another mermaid called Orla who seems to enjoy getting Marnie into trouble. The true test comes when Orla gets herself into a sticky situation and Marnie has to choose whether she should help her or not. I would recommend this chapter book to any young reader who enjoys adventure. It is filled with lots of different fishy friends to meet who get into all sorts of interesting situations together through the 12 chapters. Although it is an early chapter book, it does have some relatively complex language and quite a lot of text per chapter, so adult support may be needed for less confident, young readers. 120 pages/ Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Lucy Newton, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+