Dragon Danger and Grasshopper Glue (Wizzbang Wizard) by Scoular Anderson
| Dragon Danger and Grasshopper Glue (Wizzbang Wizard) by Scoular Anderson | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Magda Healey
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| Summary: Jolly, if mild, entertainment for learner readers, with some humour and fantasy adventure. There's a good vocabulary selection and two stories in one give the child a chance to feel a sense of achievement. | |
| Buy? No | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 192 | Date: February 2007 |
| Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-0007190072 | |
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This little book contains two stories about a little wizard called Freddy Frogpurse. In Dragon Danger, Freddy has to defend his cottage from a big, bad dragon with the help of Odds-and-Ends, the tiny house dragon. In Grasshopper Glue, Freddy receives a parcel from Great uncle Sneezer with a jar that says "Do Not Open" - which, when inevitably opened, contains a girl wizard called Jakaranda, sent on a mission to fight the evil wizard Beetleboot.
The stories are mildly funny and moderately diverting, with the required simple vocabulary and easy sentence structure. They don't feel at all stilted and I liked the alliterative titles and the fact that the pictures were used for occasional speech bubble or two. The vocabulary is particularly well-chosen to bridge the gap between learning to read and reading truly independently with words such as nimble and scorch - improving a child's range and sophistication without being too daunting.
The main character is an immediately recognisable naughty boy, and children will be able to identify with his lack of interest in learning from proper wizarding books, his disobedience and his love for football and practical jokes. There are simple, humorous and good-hearted line-drawings to break up the text. The type is big and comfy. If your child likes all things wizardy and magical, it's ideal and the gentle humour will encourage perseverance.
The Whizzbang Wizard series are nice entrants to the supported reader market, but they do have a definite shelf life. It's probably best to borrow them from the library unless your child has a particular wizard fixation or is struggling with reading and is in need of extra time and help, in which case, they're certainly good enough to buy.
Thanks to Harper Collins for sending the book.
Once your child has mastered this level of reading, try Roald Dahl's Esio Trot or George's Marvellous Medicine as candidates for the first books they truly read all by themselves with no input from you. We can also recommend The Dust Pups by Linda Cooper.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Dragon Danger and Grasshopper Glue (Wizzbang Wizard) by Scoular Anderson at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Dragon Danger and Grasshopper Glue (Wizzbang Wizard) by Scoular Anderson at Amazon.com.
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