Lightning Strikes Series
Walker Books, 2008.
(2 titles: The Meteorite kid and Egghead)
(Age 9-12) Two more stories in this series aimed at lower reading
ability kids in upper primary and early secondary school will be
instant hits. The first, Egghead by Clare Scott, tells of Paddy
and his
friend Jackal. As part of their schoolwork, their teacher, Mr Farnham
gives each of them an egg to look after for a week, during which they
must make observations for their experiment. The boys are not
impressed. They were expecting a much bolder experiment, something
loud, fizzy or smelly.
The second, The Meteorite Kid by Carol
Faulkner has a girl catching a ball at a baseball final, but what she
ends up with in her hands is totally unexpected. Both stories are
grounded in reality, will have wide appeal through their humour, and
are short with minimum description and lots of dialogue and action.
Just the thing for kids looking for a thin book.
Fran Knight