Trouble at Trident Academy by Debbie Dadey

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

    ALADDIN
    An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.Simonandschuster.com
    First Aladdin paperback edition May 2012
    Text copyright © 2012 by Debbie Dadey
    Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Tatevik Avakyan
    All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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    Designed by Karin Paprocki
    The text of this book was set in Belucian Book.
    The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Dadey, Debbie.
    Trouble at Trident Academy / by Debbie Dadey ; [illustrations by Tatevik Avakyan]. — 1st Aladdin hardcover ed. p. cm. — (Mermaid tales ; [bk. 1])
    Summary: Mermaids Shelly and Echo are excited to begin third grade at the prestigious Trident Academy, but snooty Pearl, jokester Rocky, brilliant Kiki, grumpy Mr. Fangtooth, and an argument over their first project challenge the best friends. Includes facts about marine plants and animals and words to The Mermaid Tales Song .
    ISBN 978-1-4424-4978-7 (hc)
    [1. Schools—Fiction. 2. Mermaids—Fiction. 3. Best friends—Fiction. 4. Friendship—Fiction.]
    I. Avakyan, Tatevik, 1983– ill. II. Title.
    PZ7.D128Tro 2012 [Fic]—dc23 2012000130
    ISBN 978-1-4424-2980-2 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-4424-2981-9 (eBook)

To my wonderful family:
Eric, Nathan, Becky, and Alex.
I look forward to many
more ocean trips together!

Acknowledgments
    Thanks to Fiona Simpson, Karen Nagel, and Bethany Buck for letting me swim with the mermaids!







Trident Academy
    I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” ECHO SAID. “IT’S finally happening.”
    Shelly took a small sip of her seaweed juice before pushing a lock of red hair from her face. Usually she didn’t care if her hair stuck straight up, but today was special. “We’re so lucky to get an invitationto Trident Academy. I didn’t think it would happen to me.”
    Echo and Shelly both lived in Trident City, not far from the famous Trident Academy. They had been friends since they’d played together in the small-fry area of MerPark. The eight-year-old mermaids were celebrating their first day of school with breakfast at the Big Rock Café, a favorite hangout. The place was packed with students proudly wearing their Trident Academy sashes. The two mergirls didn’t see a third mergirl swimming up behind them. Her name was Pearl. Echo and Shelly usually tried to avoid the bossy mergirl from their neighborhood.
    â€œOh my Neptune!” Pearl snapped whenshe saw Shelly. “I can’t believe you , of all merpeople, got into Trident.” Usually only very wealthy or extremely smart students were accepted. Pearl was rich. Echo was a quick learner. Shelly was neither, but she knew more about ocean animals than both of them put together.
    Echo came to her friend’s defense. “Of course Shelly got into Trident. She is very talented.”
    â€œAt what ?” Pearl asked. “Digging for crabs?”
    Shelly glanced at her dirty fingernails and immediately hid them under her blue tail fin. “At least I know how to hunt crabs. I bet you’d starve to death if you had to do something