(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. Kiki discovers a lost baby polar bear floating on a small block of ice. Unsure of what to do, and with the block of ice getting smaller, she turns to her friends and together they come up with the perfect way to get him home. The eleventh entry is another slim but enjoyable underwater adventure dotted with cartoony illustrations of doe-eyed mer-kids. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. Mermaid Echo, a third grader at Trident Elementary, is excited to find a shiny "human object" until her bossy older sister, Crystal, claims she found it first. This tenth installment is another slim but pleasant-enough story about mermaids with relatable school, friend, and family dramas. A healthy sprinkling of black-and-white Lisa Frank–looking illustrations break up the chapters. Glos.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. Kiki is afraid to tell her friends that she can see into the future. But when her visions foretell an accident involving Trident Academy classmate Rocky and a huge leatherback turtle, Kiki tries to do whatever she can to prevent it, even if it means revealing her secret. Series fans will enjoy this latest underwater adventure--however slight--with inviting black-and-white illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. In Treasure, Pearl searches for hidden treasure in a sunken ship and discovers that there are things more valuable than jewels. In Royal, Shelly worries that a visit from her great-aunt, Queen Edwina, means she's moving away from her grandfather to live at the royal palace. Series fans will enjoy these latest slight underwater adventures and the cartoony illustrations scattered throughout. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: A Royal Tea and Treasure in Trident City.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. In Treasure, Pearl searches for hidden treasure in a sunken ship and discovers that there are things more valuable than jewels. In Royal, Shelly worries that a visit from her great-aunt, Queen Edwina, means she's moving away from her grandfather to live at the royal palace. Series fans will enjoy these latest slight underwater adventures and the cartoony illustrations scattered throughout. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: A Royal Tea and Treasure in Trident City.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. A shark spotted in Trident City has everyone on high alert, especially Pearl, whose paranoia increases when her necklace disappears. She accuses Kiki of stealing it, but when Pearl finds herself face to face with a shark (the real culprit), it's Kiki who rescues her. Lively black-and-white line illustrations pepper the text, but Pearl is rather unlikable in this fourth book. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. In Lost, Shelly discovers she is a princess and worries about taking on her royal duties. In Secret, Echo meets Rocky's sea horse and debates whether sea horses should be kept as pets or live freely. Although both stories tend to be melodramatic, series fans will still enjoy these lively underwater outings. Perky line illustrations are scattered throughout. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: The Lost Princess and The Secret Sea Horse.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. In Lost, Shelly discovers she is a princess and worries about taking on her royal duties. In Secret, Echo meets Rocky's sea horse and debates whether sea horses should be kept as pets or live freely. Although both stories tend to be melodramatic, series fans will still enjoy these lively underwater outings. Perky line illustrations are scattered throughout. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: The Lost Princess and The Secret Sea Horse.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski-Fenner

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Shelly and Echo are excited about their class trip to see a pod of humpback whales. But Kiki is afraid of whales and doesn't want to tell her friends. When Kiki meets a friendly baby whale, she discovers that whales aren't so scary after all. This third installment suffers from mechanical dialogue, but inviting black-and-white illustrations showcase the lively ocean setting. Glos.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. In Trouble, mermaids Shelly and Echo are excited for their school year at Trident Academy, but an argument and an intrusive classmate test their friendship. In Battle, Echo is invited to Pearl's birthday party but Shelly isn't; she must decide how best to handle the situation. While the dialogue in these first series installments falls flat, the black-and-white illustrations are charming. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: Battle of the Best Friends and Trouble at Trident Academy.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(4) 1-3 Mermaid Tales series. Illustrated by Tatevik Avakyan. In Trouble, mermaids Shelly and Echo are excited for their school year at Trident Academy, but an argument and an intrusive classmate test their friendship. In Battle, Echo is invited to Pearl's birthday party but Shelly isn't; she must decide how best to handle the situation. While the dialogue in these first series installments falls flat, the black-and-white illustrations are charming. Glos. Review covers these Mermaid Tales titles: Battle of the Best Friends and Trouble at Trident Academy.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(4) 4-6 With her tanned skin, twelve-year-old Allie could be a Cherokee, like her best friend, Leaf. When soldiers force Leaf and her family from their Georgia home, Allie is also taken and shares the horrors of what became known as the Trail of Tears. While the girls' eventual rescue by Allie's father strains credulity, young fans of historical fiction will enjoy this story of friendship.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. Nate's new friend Donald becomes the target of class bully Louisa, who nicknames him King of the Kooties. Nate and Donald try to curry favor with Louisa by making her cookies and extravagantly praising her, but she doesn't stop her teasing until they threaten to dub her the Kootie Princess. Illustrated with simple line drawings, the slight book offers a tame look at a common grade-school problem.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Scott Goto. As they did with Annie Oakley in their book Shooting Star, Dadey and Goto once again craft a tall tale about a real person. The book's punchy humor and over-the-top acrylic and oil illustrations give the book plenty of pizzazz, but even after reading the book's appended historical note some may find the blend of fact and fiction confusing--and unnecessary.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne