12/01/2024
Gr 2–3—The titles in the eleventh set of this series are categorized as decodable leveled readers, but neither label fully fits. At an average of 45 pages, these books feel like short readers, but they are not well-executed enough to compete with trade titles and lack the targeted phonics focus to be considered true decodables. If they are meant to be leveled readers, it would be helpful to explicitly state the reading level in the front matter for clarity. As with most titles in this phonics series, the content and illustrations are inconsistent. Many of the stories revolve around fantasy themes including monsters, trolls, gnomes, zombies, outer space, and superheroes, but these elements are often introduced in a disjointed way, leading to a confusing reading experience. Additionally, the end-of-book comprehension questions are sparse, with only five questions for these longer texts, making it difficult for early readers to maintain engagement. VERDICT Improvements in narrative structure and phonics focus would enhance its value.
