Cora’s Beach Adventure

Walker (Dirt’s Journey) and Kwon (Balloon) invite readers on young Cora and her grandmother’s beach adventure in this thoughtfully crafted chapter book with a STEAM-focused angle. Simple plotting featuring gentle twists and turns follows the pale-skinned protagonists as they build sandcastles and explore tide pools. In sentences designed to stretch developing readers’ skills, short, sound-outable words, including Cora and Gran, appear alongside slightly more challenging vocabulary, including beach and castle. STEAM concepts are seamlessly interwoven throughout: Cora, experimenting with sand consistency, learns to adjust the building material’s water content to perfect her castle, and a later discovery of a stranded sea star introduces habitats and marine life. Following a decadent ice cream sundae treat (“the perfect ending for our beach adventure,” Gran notes), Cora determines to bring the wonders of her outing to her brother, Ben, “as a story! My story will have splash monsters, tide pools, and a sea-star rescue,” a sentiment that encourages readers to connect observation with imagination. Sunny watercolor illustrations match the text’s bright and playful tone, while back matter offers scientific facts and a hands-on sand activity, making for a highly readable adventure that champions critical thinking and creativity. Ages 5–7. (June)