Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

It is unfortunate that zero stars is not an option. So, when did children's book publishers decide it was a good idea to throw out basic rules of grammar, such as writing in complete sentences? These books abound in fragments of all sorts. Moreover, the author and publisher decided that helpful punctuation, like commas, are similarly unnecessary. Mary Pope Osborne and Random House ought to be ashamed of themselves. As a guest artist, I teach writing to a host of public school kids grades 7-12. Many of the students I work with think that they know what a sentence is, but they don't. If they read trash like The Magic Treehouse series when they were younger, it is no wonder. But don't just take my word for it. Compare these books with the writing of Antonia Barber in The Mousehole Cat (Book & CD). It is recommended for the same age range, has complete sentences, and with lively use of assonance and alliteration, is fresh and fun (and the illustrations are vastly superior!). If you want your kids to read pulp that will likely leave them more confused about writing and grammar than they were before breaking the books' spines, look no further. These books are for you! But, if you think that they ought to be reading something of substance that makes them more intelligent and enriches their lives, try elsewhere.