Ariel: The Shimmering Star Necklace
by Gail Herman
Rating *** (3 stars)
I love this series. I think it is a great way to capture young girl's (or boy's) interest in reading, even if it is with the whole princess thing. The chapters and the print are not overwhelming, and the beautiful pictures help with the transition from early readers, to chapter books.
The series is amazing. This particular book is a bit boring. I get it, there is not much plot that you can put into a short chapter book where a huge concern is making the language readable. Yet, I first cringed when I read about how excited Ariel was for the Royal concert being put on by the Village School - maybe it is just the adult in me that thinks this was a bit overdone.
Then the girl that Ariel is helping practice for the concert has a secret friend - this should raise huge red flags. The fact that this secret friend is just a mermaid girl is great, but no one once talked to this child about stranger danger. I was at least thinking it was Ursula. Even Disney characters need to worry about talking to strangers.
Overall the book taught a good message about friendship, and being friends with people who are different. It even was great that the concert was moved to the beach for the water impaired merpeople. It does not make up for the whole first part of the book where I am thinking about this child wondering off and not telling an adult. NOT GOOD! So, it looses two stars.
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