The Lost Princess Paperback - 2013 - 1st Edition

Summary

Excerpt

Bloodsuckers

CLASS, HEREâÈçS A RIDDLE. What creature has a head, a soft body, and one foot?âÈë Mrs. Karp asked her classroom of twenty third graders.

One excited merboy blurted out, âÈêA dolphin with a big belly?âÈë

Mrs. Karp raised a green eyebrow. âÈêNo, Rocky, these creatures sometimes have a shell. Can anyone else tell me the correct answer?âÈë

Shelly Siren pushed her red hair out of her face and slowly raised her hand. âÈêIs it a mollusk?âÈë

Mrs. Karp slapped her white tail on her marble desk. âÈêCorrect! And mollusks are the subject of our next project.âÈë

Rocky groaned. âÈêMrs. Karp, do we have to do another seaweed report?âÈë The entire class held its breath. The merkids had been at Trident Academy for only a few weeks, and already theyâÈçd done assignments on sharks, whales, krill, and famous merpeople.

âÈêNo. Instead of reports weâÈçll be making sculptures!âÈë Mrs. Karp said. âÈêTomorrow your art teacher, Miss Haniver, will give you a lesson on sculpting. WonâÈçt that be delightful?âÈë Mrs. Karp smiled at the merboys and mergirls.

Shelly thought making a sculpture sounded hard, but she hoped itâÈçd be easier than a written report. SheâÈçd much rather be playing Shell Wars than sculpting or writing a paper. Shell Wars was a fun game where you used a whale bone to toss a shell into a chest guarded by an octopus, while the other team tried to stop you from scoring.

ShellyâÈçs good friend Kiki Coral asked, âÈêMrs. Karp, I read in the Trident City Tide that thereâÈçs a group of vampire squid living on the other side of Whale Mountain. Are they mollusks?âÈë

Mrs. Karp nodded. âÈêYes, they are. Vampire squid are one of my favorite mollusks because their light organs make a lovely glow when they are disturbed.âÈë

âÈêVampire squid?âÈë Rocky gasped. âÈêIâÈçve heard about them. They come into your shell at night and suck your blood!âÈë



A few merkids squealed. ShellyâÈçs other close friend, Echo Reef, looked ready to cry. âÈêIs that true?âÈë

Mrs. Karp frowned at Rocky. âÈêOf course not. ThatâÈçs just an old mertale told to scare merkids.âÈë

EchoâÈçs eyes widened and her pink tail shook. âÈêIt worked,âÈë she whispered to Shelly. âÈêIâÈçm terrified.âÈë

âÈêNow, students, we have quite a busy day. First, weâÈçre going to meet Madame Hippocampus, who will teach you merology. Then, after lunch, weâÈçll visit the library so you can decide which mollusk you would like to sculpt.âÈë

Rocky and a few other boys frowned. âÈêDo we have to study merology?âÈë Rocky asked.

âÈêOf course,âÈë Mrs. Karp said. âÈêTo be a well-rounded merperson, you must know everything about merhistory, government, and society. And, class, if you have never seen a hippocampus before, do not scream when you first see Madame. It is not polite.âÈë

âÈêA hippocampus!âÈë Rocky shrieked. âÈêI heard they have six heads and twelve eyes!âÈë

Mrs. Karp glared at Rocky. âÈêThat will be quite enough. You must stop spreading these silly rumors. They can only cause trouble.âÈë

âÈêWhatâÈçs a hippocampus?âÈë Shelly whispered to Kiki as they glided to line up. Kiki was probably one of the smartest merstudents in class and usually knew the answers.

Kiki whispered back, âÈêA hippocampus is part dolphin and part horse. But IâÈçve never seen one. I wonder which part is which.âÈë

âÈêI guess weâÈçll find out soon enough,âÈë Shelly said. âÈêWhatever she looks like, I sure hope sheâÈçs nice.âÈë

Media reviews

Citations

• Hornbook Guide to Children, 01/01/2014, Page 60