The Misfits: Phonics Comics, Vol. 10 Issue 1, Level 3
Grade 2-4–These slim volumes are touted as supporting the No Child Left Behind Act by encouraging the practice of phonemic awareness, phonics skills, fluent reading, vocabulary building, and text comprehension. A small list of story and sight words is provided; it is designed to be reviewed with the child before reading the story. This is awkward since the words are at the back of the book. The main problem with the books, however, is the inconsistency between volumes. InThe Misfits, three humorous, grubby orphans fight to stay together and stay parentless. It's a great story, but the art is fuzzy and cluttered, making it difficult to tell the children apart. The illustrations are so hazy it's like looking at pictures through smoke. In contrast, the digital illustrations inTime Travelersare bright and appealing, but the story of two children falling into a time slide gets confusing. Finally,Spooky Saragets it right. The girl lives with her friends who happen to be a skeleton, a ghost, and a werewolf. Needless to say, this doesn't make her very popular. The wide-headed children, less-than-scary monsters, and Sara's desire to be liked are sure to be a hit.–Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.