Cora's Beach Adventure by Sally M. Walker

We're going to stick to those beginning readers out there, today, with another read, which works on those reading skills. This one comes from the STEAM Street Kids series, books which combine reading levels (1-3) with STEAM themes. So, double-whammy goodness. I have not taken a peek at this series before and am excited to see what these books hold, especially since this one is giving Summer vibes and promises fun in the water and sand. 

Get on those swimsuits because we're headed to the beach today!

CORA'S BEACH ADVENTURE

STEAM Street Kids, Level 3

by Sally M. Walker

Illustrated by Julie Kwon

MIT Kids Press

Beginning Reader

48 pages

ages 5 to 7

COMING JULY 7th!!!

Keep kids curious with this exciting first adventure in the STEAM Street Kids early-reader series, following Cora on a day of fun, science-based adventures at the beach.

Pack your beach bag and join Cora and Gran for some discoveries by the shore! Test sand to figure out what kind makes the best castle. Find out how sea animals survive low tide. Investigate sea stars in a tide pool—and rescue them from drying out. And what tops off a day at the beach better than a big ice cream sundae? The welcoming text by nonfiction author extraordinaire Sally M. Walker, ideal for early readers moving into chapter books, is followed by back matter expounding on the three STEAM concepts introduced and inviting kids to experiment with their own sandcastle-building activity.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

A day at the beach involves sand castles, ice cream, and an exciting rescue mission, while including small activities readers can do too.

Cora and Gran are going to the beach for the day. Cora is determined to build sand castles, but it's not working as nicely as she'd hoped. As she tries to figure out the reason, she visits to the tide pools to discover what the receded water has left behind and learns a little bit more about sea life while finding a creature, who needs help immediately. 

The book begins with a quick description of the series, in general, allowing guardians, teachers, and caretakers to understand the different reading levels within the series and better decide which would be best for their circumstances. Then, it heads to a table of contents, so readers can quickly find where they last left off. After that, the tale begins. It's written in larger font with plenty of spacing for easy reading purposes. The sentences are kept very short, while the vocabulary adds a few more difficult terms here and there to work those word skills. There are always illustrations to help readers along. These are bright and bring over the scenes nicely, while supporting the text visually. At the end of the book, there are several pages of knowledge, experiment, and activity goodness. These work best for caretakers to help guide the readers through. All are easy to understand, offer insight into scientific themes (such as tides), and fitting for the age group. The hands-on activities include usual household items as well or things which are no problem to get.

Cora is a energetic and positive character, and it's hard not to want to be on that beach with her. Her discoveries are exciting while staying very age appropriate. Especially those who have been to a beach before will easily recognize some of the scenes. Those who haven't will have no problem visualizing each moment and learning more about the beach. Gran offers wonderful support and adds tons of care and warmth. It's also fun to see her play with Cora and get involved in everything. Add that the science information rolls smoothly into the tale, and it's a fun read the entire way through.