Third Grade Mermaid

Third Grade Mermaid #1

by Peter Raymundo

Cora is a small mermaid with a BIG problem.

She wants to be like the Singing Sirens, the most glamorous swim team in the sea.

Unfortunately, an annoying road--er, seablock--keep getting in her way.

When Cora fails her spelling test, her coach says she can’t be on the team unless she gets an A on the next one!

Can Cora conquer her spelling test, make the swim team, AND stay true to herself at the same time?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Mermaids, Family, Juvenile, Chapter Books

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2007

Reviews

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I got this book for Christmas and it's so cool because I'm in third grade and I like mermaids, just like my mom. I liked the part that the third grade mermaid was invited to a birthday party. They had an underwater lava cake that turned out to be sitting on a real life volcano. It was crazy! But it ended up being a trick 'cause Vivian Shimmermore was only pretending to be the third grade mermaid's friend. A band, The Singing Sirens, was preforming to ships that were sailing by, had such beautiful voices that they forgot to put down their anchors and the ships sunk!" -Cadee, age 8

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one for work - need to submit a review.
From the opening pages, I was captivated by the charming illustrations that accompany the story. As I began to read, the main character, a mermaid named Cora, found that she had failed a spelling test and was kicked off the Singing Sirens group until she passed her next spelling test. Her mother buys her a diary to write in. Hilarity ensues as Cora experiences many adventures, including befriending a super-sized shrimp and an exploding lava cake, while writing in her diary. I found the writing to be funny and the story developed nicely. The only negative I could point out is the emphasis on the beauty of the Shimmermore Sisters as a reason for their popularity.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story didn't need to be under the sea. There were real world analogs for everything. The themes of this was unclear. Our main character didn't study for her test but somehow still passed. The Sirens are corrupt but not punished. It was confusing. I also didn't connect with the humor.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute... ish. I mean, I don't know what I'd change about it, say, but while I like it, I will definitely forget about it in a week.

No, I know—what I would change is the stereotypical "mermaids wear shells on their chests" bit; I saw one book recently (and it kills me that I can't remember which) that featured young mermaids wearing tank tops, and that was great! Very Reboot She-Ra!

Yeah, otherwise, it feels very Diary of a Wimpy Kid in a more Dragonbreath format, mostly because it's in diary format interspersed with large illustrations that are sometimes in comic/graphic novel format. It also has some oddities that I chalk up to either magic or Rule of Funny:

- There's one point where a gang of sharks try to bully Cora by asking if she's crying, to which she retorts that they wouldn't be able to tell if she were, since the tears would VANISH INTO THE WATER. Which is true, but then also, *how would they know what crying is in the first place?*
- At the same time, Cora complains about DROOL STAINS on her book. If crying vanishes into the water, why not the drool?
- Also, that they're using paper underwater at ALL. I mean, Cora's mother suggests magic, but there's actually a stunning LACK of it in the book, despite being a mentioned topic. (Partly spoiler to explain why, though I guess it could just be background magic vs. active spellcasting.)
- The fact Cora regularly misspells, crosses out, then CORRECTLY SPELLS, IN BOLD, certain words throughout the book is a bit weird, since some of these words are words I wouldn't expect her to be able to just casually toss into an adlibbed diary, ESPECIALLY if she's having so much trouble spelling. It actually makes it feel like an older book than third grade, but then I don't remember third grade much except that it definitely felt like a significant step up from second that I don't remember from third to fourth, or fourth to fifth, etc. ...so in that respect, I do understand Cora's frustration with it, haha.

Again, on the whole, a good read, and definitely recommended for fans of mermaids!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raymundo, Peter Third Grade Mermaid 208 pgs. Scholastic, 2017. $12.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: G

This is the story of Cora the mermaid. To keep her place on the swim team she must pass her next spelling test, if not a snobby mermaid named Vivian will get her spot. Cora accidently gets a pet, which causes some chaos in her life. She is jealous of Vivian and her beautiful older sisters, but she soon learns that beauty isn’t everything and who her true friends are.

With its appealing content and multi-faceted plot, this feels like a fully fleshed out world. I like this SO much better than Mermaid Tales. For readers the cover won’t be as appealing because the main character is featured as a normal looking mermaid and very cartoony. The book is fully illustrated and really funny, like when her mom gets mad, she gets all squinty eyed. I think this book would appeal to 2nd & 3rd graders.

EL(K-3) –ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started really bad... but then it improved!

I bought it because I like mermaids and the cover was so cute. I know I'm probably almost 25 years older than the intended reading age but I was curious.

As I wrote before, it started bad. I mean, Cora was really vapid and all she could think about was appearance: shining hair, shining scales and so on. I was almost ready to throw the book out of the window.

When I was almost half the book in, the story gained momentum and I really enjoyed myself while reading. The secondary characters were really funny and I adored Salty.

The art is really nice, a bit blue, but nice.

I guess, I'll read the second one as well. I'm still curious about Cora.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

My soon to be a 3rd grader always finish a book like this in a day or in one sitting of 1 hr or less reading. It has been a struggle to finish this book. She did not like it. I always read her books after she read it so we can discuss the book. After I read it I knew why she did not like the book...This is a good book but it will be appeal to those who are not advanced readers. I do not want to say that my daughter is a super genius but she's reading significantly above her grade level and already into YA books but I'm still trying to buy books that are appropriate to her age but many turned to be a struggle to finish reading them.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cora, a mermaid in third grade, wants nothing more than to be one of the Singing Sirens. Unfortunately, she made a bad grade in spelling. If Cora doesn't make an A on her next spelling test, her spot on the Singing Sirens will go to Vivian Shimmermore. Cora's mother gives her a diary in which to write, hoping it will help with her spelling. Cora begins to record her very exciting third grade experience.

Teaching points: journaling/diary writing, friendship, responsibility, work ethic

Location: LES library

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

No page numbers? Automatic deduction.

An early chapter book. Prose but heavily illustrated.

Cora needs to pass her spelling test if she wants to join the singing sirens. Cora's mom gets her a diary to practice writing in. Cora chronicles her adventures with her friends, family, the popular girl who also wants to be a siren, and a giant shrimp.

I appreciate that the sirens are crashing ships and the story is unapologetic about it. For some reason it bugs me that all the mermaids are wearing the same shell bikini, especially the kids.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever mermaid story with strong characters, and clever word play. There is a long wait for this title in our reserved list. Mermaid stories are always requested, it remained an unfulfilled need for our young readers, until the arrival of Third Grade Mermaid. The illustrations by Peter Raymundo are imaginative, cartoon like, and well rendered. It is delightful, hopefully there are many more to come.

[Gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third Grade Mermaid is a super adorable (sorry, shellfishalicious!) chapter book by Peter Raymundo. Cora is a plucky main character that kids are sure to enjoy and relate too, especially as she navigates tough homework assignments, friendships, and being responsible for a new pet. It's a great option for younger kids who aren't quite ready for the length of books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but like that format.

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cora wants to be on the singing siren swim team, but having failed her spelling, she academically ineligible! Try as she might she can't seem to focus. Her thoughtful mom get her a diary to record her thoughts. She soon finds the truth of the adage "pretty is as pretty does." Nice message about mean girls, academic eligibility and self discovery.

[Stefanie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think a lot of kids kid relate to the main character. The drawings interlaced with text were fun and added to the story. The captions in the photos were meant to be read with the text not as a supplement which might confuse some readers. Nothing earth shattering about the message in the story but a quick fun read for kids.

[AMY · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one weird book! It is about a mermaid who can't spell. It is a diary story and boring as all getout! (Is that a word?) Anyway, it is a silly book with cartoon pictures. I would not buy this for my media center. Skip it. Third graders everywhere will thank you.

[Linda J.B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the cover but disappointed on the contents. I didn't like how the writing was set up, by scratching out misspelled words to finally get it right. Yes, I understand the idea behind this, but it stopped the flow of the story. In fact, the whole story was way too long and jumpy.

[Sarah Muang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the best because I loved
how the mermaid told the crab to go away
so the crab did then the mermaid noticed the shark
and they were bullies so the crab heard the mermaid getting
bullied so the crab stand up for her.

[Ashtyn Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Vivian Shimmermore had the biggest underwater lava cake that was on top of a REAL underwater volcano! And by the way, they are mermaids. My least favorite part was when Cora saved her shrimp Salty from the giant buckets of stuff and it grew bigger.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute book about a little mermaid named Cora. Written like a diary with super cute illustrations throughout.

[Carol Holland Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book for kids!! Great message woven in the story!

[Amanda Walz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ishy kind of book. It felt a little drama filled.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was set out like a diary, but she got

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read for early elementary:-)

[Sarahs Reads ToKids]

My 8 year old going into 3rd grade daughter read this book and really enjoyed it.

[Laci Cake · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter wants everyone to know that the end of the book is funny!!

[Dana Ouf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK💖

[Lylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this book is really juvenile,it makes me laugh every time I read it. I love Cora’s humor, and the illustrations make the book come alive. 4.5!

[Jesse Baggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but too long. Also, making the beautiful girls the villains felt cliché, especially since we weren’t given any real reasons to dislike them. Oh well; my third-grader liked it.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Third Grade Mermaid from Scholastic Press and boy oh boy are you in for a treat.

First of all, the illustrations are wonderful and imbued with just the right amount of humour - I can't wait to see the finished product with coloured illustrations because the sample illustrations near the beginning of the book were gorgeous.

Secondly, this book is very funny. There are some seriously good jokes throughout and only one distinct miss in my opinion.

I'm eager for this to come out so I can share it with all those emerging readers, mermaid fans, and third-grade children.

[Florence Migga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy book birthday to Third Grade Mermaid! This little book was simply adorable. The illustrations were a lot of fun and did a great job complementing the text. Cora has a boisterous personality, just as you might expect from a third grade mermaid. Hearing her tell the stories of her adventures are true to how any child might tell stories, but these are extra fun because they are all about life under the sea. What a magical little story! I can't wait to give this to my niece!

See my review on Book Nerds Across America: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com...

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a cute diary from the perspective of Cora the mermaid, a struggling speller who aspires to be a part of the Sirens - the most beautiful singers/swimmers in the sea. The spelling challenges Cora faces are relatable and her giant shrimp pet (who triggers her brother's shellfish allergy) is fun too. A light, illustrated read that I think would appeal to many of my students.

I read an ARC copy of this book, illustrations were not complete.