Buzz Beaker and the Outer Space Trip (Buzz Beaker Books)
Grade 1–2—These two Level 3 "Reading Alone" beginning readers present Buzz Beaker, a young African-American inventor. Each story is introduced with a facsimile of Buzz's ebook-bound notebook that showcases the story's main characters, Buzz's drawings, and the featured invention. InOuter Space Trip, Buzz talks to his dog about problems he has experienced building a functioning spaceship. That night, Buzz and Raggs become stowaways on an alien spaceship and get a tour of the ship and the aliens' planet. InSpeed Secret, Buzz invents a paint that enables him to win a downhill ski race, defeating the champion skier Vesa. Both books end with humorous plot twists that could be interesting discussion starters. Complemented by bold, cartoon-style illustrations, they include lists of important "story words" and tips for supporting beginning readers. Both stories will be fun for children learning to read.—Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.--This text refers to theLibrary Bindingedition.