Phonics Comics: Twisted Tales - Level 3

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-In the first book, Brad, his dog, and a mad scientist find one another when a predictable accident turns Duke into a monster. The humor and wide-eyed characters pull this story along. However, the pictures don't always match up with the text, and the school bully who taunts Brad looks like an adult. Super Sam lives on a distant planet where things happen for no reason. In a series of gross flukes, he gets superpowers. Sparkplugs includes three hilarious stories about a robot family trying to find its place on Earth. Twisted Tales offers the viewpoints of the witch in "Hansel and Gretel," the Big Bad Wolf, and the troll under the bridge. The pictures are engaging and unique. These slim easy readers claim to support the No Child Left Behind Act. How they do this any differently from other beginning readers is unclear. A short list of story and sight words is included. The format and Saturday-morning-cartoon quality of the art will undoubtedly appeal to reluctant readers. However, with the exception of Sparkplugs, the books are additional purchases. Libraries looking to build a younger graphic-novel collection should stick with classics like Osamu Tezuka's "Astro Boy" (Dark Horse) or new favorites "Pinky & Stinky" (Top Shelf) by James Kochalka.-Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.