Clark the Shark: Friends Forever (I Can Read Level 2) - Hardcover

Hale, Bruce

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062912593 ISBN 13: 9780062912596

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2022

Synopsis

"A recommended story that helps young readers learn how to be a good friend." (School Library Journal)

Featuring bold illustrations by Guy Francis and lively easy-to-read text by Bruce Hale, this Level Two I Can Read will have beginning readers ready to take a bite out of reading! Perfect for social emotional learning.

Clark the Shark is super excited about the drawing contest. The winner gets Captain Suckermouth comics, signed by Captain Suckermouth! When Clark asks Joey Mackerel for help, his excitement gets the best of him and he doesn’t listen to his friend. Joey is sad because his pet catfish died. Will Clark be able to truly listen and put his friend first?

Clark the Shark has been embraced in the elementary school classroom and at home. Kids laugh at his antics, and they also relate to the young shark who always means well but can get himself into scrapes due to his overabundance of energy.

This is the first Level Two I Can Read for Clark the Shark. Level Two I Can Read books are geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the engaging stories, longer sentences, and language play of Level Two books are proven to help kids take their next steps toward reading success.

About this title

About the Authors

Bruce Hale has written and/or illustrated over sixty books for kids and is the author of the Clark the Shark series; the award-winning Chet Gecko Mysteries series; Snoring Beauty, one of Oprah’s Recommended Reads for Kids; and the School for S.P.I.E.S. series. In his free time, Bruce enjoys hiking, watching movies, and making music. He lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, dog, and many hats. You can catch him online at brucehale.com.

Guy Francis spends most of his time drawing, painting, and drawing some more. He has done a variety of illustration work in the children’s market, including editorial and educational illustration, chapter books, and picture books. He freelances from his home in Provo, Utah, where his wife and four children are his own personal art critics and bring a healthy bit of chaos to the studio. Every now and then he gets out of the house and heads to the mountains with his family. You can visit him online at www.guyfrancis.com.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—This Level 2 beginning reader book stresses the importance of listening to your friends. Clark the Shark and Joey the Mackerel are best friends, but when Clark becomes excited about winning a drawing contest, he doesn't notice that his friend is in no mood to help. They end up quarreling, and Joey tells Clark to go away. Clark has no clue what is bothering Joey, until Amanda Eelwiggle informs him that Joey's pet catfish died. Amanda challenges Clark to really think about what it means to be a friend. Her exhortations initially boggle Clark's mind, but eventually Clark creates a rhyme to help him remember all the essential steps: "Listen closely, treat them kind, be there for them, rain or shine. Stick with them until the end, that's the way to be a friend!" Clark realizes in a flash that he should make a sympathy card for his friend. Joey loves the card, and the two friends are able to work together and win the contest. The text is appropriate for beginning readers, and the illustrations are fun, with the anthropomorphic creatures and the blending of sea details, such as corals and sponges growing in what appear to be garden beds, with ordinary human details like houses and clothes that are only found above the ocean. VERDICT A recommended story that helps young readers learn how to be a good friend.—Sally James

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062912593
• ISBN 13: 9780062912596
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Francis Guy
• Number of pages: 32