The Secret Shipwreck

Gr 2-4 –In this sixth book in the “Mermaids Rock” series Marina, Naya, Coralie, Luna, and Kia, along with their pet friends, go to the Red Sea for an adventure. Coralie and her friends are on vacation from school and decide to put on a play for their parents based on humans and their behavior. They decide to visit a shipwreck at the Red Sea. They are enthralled by a chest full of wigs and clothes. The group is playing dress-up when they are startled into hiding by four humans diving for scientific research. Wally the whale distracts the humans and drives them away, but one of them looks back and sees them. She follows them but ends up trapped within the unstable ship, and the mermaid group frees her before fleeing. This newest title broaches themes of collaboration and friendship. Sweet illustrations show the expressive mermaids in a range of skin tones and hair types. VERDICT This series continues embodying wonderful themes of diverse characters of merpeople and emphasizes the importance of ocean conservation and marine life exploration. –School Library Journal