Super Spies (Disney / Pixar Cars) (Step into Reading, Step 2)

Beginning readers based on popular movie franchises - eh. I always told myself I would never buy these, especially since there are quality beginning reader series available, but now that I have children I see why such books are made. My girls love them. They want to read about their favorite

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characters. And if it gets them reading, I need to sacrifice some of my own preconceptions. In this book, readers receive an extremely simplified version of the Cars 2 movie. The story is pared down to the point of not always making sense - for example, Mater is running from the bad guys and flying in the air, and the next page he is being thanked by the queen for stopping them. We just have to assume the confrontation occurred. The purpose, clearly, is to use sentences of basic vocabulary and simple construction. I can see early readers having a successful time reading this. On the other hand, much of the language feels stiff and unnatural. The illustrations are attractive, in style with the movie. On the whole, the book is mediocre to bad, but I will still be reading it many times over, because my daughters love the characters.

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