Eva at the Beach: A Branches Book (Owl Diaries #14)

Owl Diaries #14

by Rebecca Elliott

It's summertime and Eva Wingdale is going to the beach!

Eva is visiting the beach with her best friend Lucy! They can't wait to build sandcastles and make seashell necklaces. But Eva is secretly afraid to go swimming because of the big fish—like sharks!—that live in the sea. After Eva hears the "Legend of the Mermowls" and spots her classmate Sue in the water, the sea doesn't seem so scary. Will Eva face her fears and maybe find some magic at the beach, too?

Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Rebecca Elliott's sweet text and full-color artwork on every page bring this story to life for young readers!

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Juvenile, Graphic Novels

80 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2021

About the author

Rebecca Elliott is the author and illustrator of the best-selling Owl Diaries series (Scholastic US) & over 20 picture books including Just Because, Sometimes, Naked Trevor and Zoo Girl, for which she was nominated for the 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal.
Her new series The Unicorn Diaries (Scholastic US) & her first YA novel 'Pretty Funny ' (Penguin Random House) are out now.

Reviews

[Alana Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Owl Diaries series because they're short, easy to read, stories that I love.

[Audrey Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute as always! Clara loved the creative storyline in this one!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book to young readers who enjoy stories about friendship, facing fears, and beach fun!
In this exciting book, Eva and her friend Lucy embark on a thrilling beach vacation. They have a whole list of fun activities planned, like building sand castles, painting seashells, and spotting mermaids called morels. Now, if you're wondering what a morel is, it's like a mermaid but with a fishtail instead of legs.

However, Eva has a fear of swimming in the sea. She's afraid of big fish, especially sharks, and worries that they might eat her. Will she ever find the courage to face her fears and dive into the ocean? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out!

One of the coolest things in this book is when Eva and Lucy spot what they think are morels. But guess what? It turns out they're not morels, but Sue and her mom are swimming in the ocean wearing amazing mermaid-inspired swimsuits. They look absolutely stunning!

The lesson I learned from this book is that if you don't face your fears, you'll never truly know what they're like. It's important to confront your fears and overcome them because only then can you grow stronger and conquer the things that scare you.

I loved reading this book because it was full of adventure and taught me the importance of bravery. Eva's journey to face her fear of swimming was inspiring, and it reminded me that sometimes we need to take risks to discover something amazing. The illustrations in the book were vibrant and captured the beach atmosphere perfectly. I highly recommend this book to young readers who enjoy stories about friendship, facing fears, and beach fun!

This book has received glowing reviews and is a must-read for fans of the genre. Don't wait. Click the link to purchase your copy now!
https://amzn.to/3L7ku6u

I've got so much to say about this book. Watch my full review on my YouTube channel to hear all my thoughts.
https://youtu.be/xe9NPYmnmbA

[Sai Brahadammba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the one that I think, all children and even elders would love to read. My mommy likes to read them! These series bring so much joy in me!
This book is about a little owl, Eva who goes on a beach vacation with her family and a friend, Lucy. Eva and Lucy plan and make a list of fun activities to do on the beach. They have a lot of fun, however when it comes to swimming, Eva hesitates as she fears the big fishes. Lucy and another friend of Eva, Sue who meets them on the beach encourage Eva and help her to overcome her fear. The 3 friends enjoy swimming and then there is a a turning point! The 3, in their shiny swimsuits become famous as "MERMOWLS" because of the picture taken by Eva's brother, Humphry who sends it to the newspaper and gets it published. A very happy ending!

I wish the story keeps on going without an end. I too wish to write such stories some day!

[Renate Deutsche Oma · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter found the Owl Series in her school library. Wished we had found the series earlier, since she just started 3 grade. As a retired teacher, I enjoy the series. Nice graphics, excellent thought out story line. Diaries are fun and individual. The 7 day week makes for a perfect length. I also enjoy making lists, so that is a fun element. Relatable to kids - family and school life. Word play is a part of our family life. As a teacher, I enjoy the questions at the end. Living on near Lake Michigan beaches and having visited the Atlantic Ocean, since my granddaughter enjoys dolphins. This book was a hit.

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful new addition to the Owl Diaries series! This book changes up the format and shows a week filled with vacation instead of the usual school setting. I liked the change of pace as well as seeing Eva overcome her fears. I do wish we could have seen more mermowls though!

For: fans of owls; readers wanting a diary format and fun illustrations.

Possible red flags: hiding the truth/lying; fears and overcoming fears; prejudice.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Being an owl is owlways fun, but especially on vacation.”

3.5/5

This one sees Eva going to the beach for a vacation with her family and best friend, Lucy. It was cute and I loved the summer vacation aspect, but it wasn’t one of my series’ favorites.

And now I'm all caught up!

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to wait until I read book 13 to read this one, but then I remembered it is not necessary to read this series in order, which makes it a pretty good series.
Like the other books in the series it has a good plot, pace, and illustrations. I enjoyed the story in this book. It's a cute series I am hightly likely to recommend (and have in fact recommended).

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss 7 loves reading about Eva! She was so excited showing me the mermaid-owls.

Miss 7 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shark-infested waters, owls in swimsuits, and... mermowls?!

Owl Diaries #14: Eva at the Beach has officially arrived... let the waitlist in our libraries begin!

[Jocelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An fabulous entry in The Owl Diaries.

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, I finished it in 1 day taking breaks. I love the dolphins and sharks. I love how she put Baxter at the end! He's my favorite.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva looks for merowls at the beach and overcomes her fear of swimming with some help from her firends.

[Winston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like at the end when baby mo took a pic of real mermowls.

[KK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute read for my students with lots of opportunities for language and writing

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is an easy read though.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva Wingdale, and her friend Lucy, are headed to the beach with their families! Will they see the famed but probably fictitious Mermowls? Either way, they are ready with a list of fun things to do at the beach!!

We’ve been reading through this series with my son. He likes them!

[Tess Jones-Orta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author may be writing these books too fast because there are continuity mistakes.

[Cheryl Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owl Diaries is the perfect cute, early chapter book. The story is never predictable and the illustrations include fun details, which my kids and I love.

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute story in the series.

[Jules Loz · Rating 4 out of 5]

J loves this series of books and is happy that our library has new titles available (diary style, cute drawings, cute characters, fun and quick to read stories) (3rd grade)

[Serika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva went to the beach.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So stinking adorable! We LOVED the mermowls! 🧜🏿‍♀️

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable addition to the Owl Diaries series. Eva goes on a beach vacation with a friend, and they hope to see Mermowls. My daughter thought the end was hilarious with Baby Mo.

[Samantha Haydock]

Gotta count the kids books now my goal is 10 books behind

[Hannah Milosevic · Rating 4 out of 5]

When he was trying to get Eva in the water and she ran away because she saw there was gonna be sharks eating her, it was scary

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

delightful story with great pictures about Eva's friends and family trip to the beach

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Eva and her best friend Lucy go to the beach for a family vacation. Eva is so excited for all the fun they will have--they might even spot some Merowls!--but she has a secret. Eva is afraid of the ocean because of all of the potentially hungry big fish that live in the sea. Can Eva still have a great weekend, even if she doesn't want to go into the ocean?

Eva's adventures continue in the newest Owl Diaries book. Bright colorful illustrations and a simple story that is still relatable to everyday adventures makes this series a winner.

[Mary T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet little story. We had been to the beach recently, so the boys could relate in that way (although we weren't looking for mermowls).

Update: read this again to the boys. We're trying to finish up the series.

[Kourtnie Neighbarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

good