Unsolved Mysteries

The Read On series are what I would consider Hi- Lo books. That is to say a book with a Hi interest level and a lower reading level. One of the biggest problems when a child is not reading at grade level, is that the books available for them to read are not at appropriate level as far as interests. Hi- Lo books provide books that are interesting to much older readers, but still accessible to those who are really struggling with literacy. The publishers do not give a specific age for this book, but it usually listed under secondary school resources. They do give us a bit more on reading level, telling us this series is designed to help children achieve level 4 in reading - the recommended reading level for children leaving primary school. I believe this book would class as 3B in reading level which is not at all the same as book bands. I would guess this to be closer to a level 12, bookband brown on the Oxford Reading Tree programme - which puts it right about age 8. It does have some factors though that make this easier to read than the average level 12 reading book. The first is that all text is printed in a good sized font, in black ink with double spacing in between lines. The spacing in particularly recommended for children with dyslexia, but I believe it makes reading easier for all children. Another advantage is that the text is printed on very slightly off white back grounds - there is just a tint of colour, not enough to distract the reader, but enough to prevent glare. Sadly, there are a few pages where the last lines run into a printed background, such as storm clouds, but I have only found one ( with a bolt of lightening) which I feel might be distracting. This book is a collection of stories, and they are all quite good if you enjoy stories of the unexplained. My son's favourite was the section on the Bermuda Triangle. He enjoyed this so much I have ordered him two more books on the subject. He also really enjoyed the story of the Mary Celeste, and we spent some time looking up further details online. The story of the Loch Ness Monster hasn't been as much fun for him since he learned the loch was frozen solid in the ice age, meaning nothing could have survived from prehistoric times. This book does not mention that fact. He found Houdini very interesting, and we may very well try another book on this in the future as well. There are also stories about Stonehenge and aliens and a man who appears to have stepped into the future. This book is well illustrated with a picture on every page. They type of illustration varies from story to story. The majority of the illustrations are photographs, but in the case of the Mary Celeste, paintings are used. Many of the photos are black and white, as it to be expected from the time period in question. Most are quite good, but one of the Loch Ness monster is terrible. Of course there aren't any brilliant, clear shots of this creature. The story of Houdini uses both photographs and posters for his shows. I would certainly recommend this book for reluctant readers or those struggling with reading. I think it is brilliant for home education as well. This is a very enjoyable book to read, and I do think this book is worth buying for a child with an interest in this type of stories, even if they are experiencing reading difficulties. In short, this book makes reading fun. I would recommend this for children ages 8 -12 with an average reading ability. I think older children and teens will still enjoy this, but it is very short. I would choose a longer book for a 13 -14 year old who is reading at or above grade level. I would think this would suit children from ages 10+ and even adults with delayed reading skills, but obviously it will depend on how delayed the reading skills are. A ten year old who is 4 years behind will still likely find this too challenging. I also would not recommend this for many children under age 8, even if they do have a very high reading age, simply because I don't feel this would be very interesting to a younger child, but of course there are always some exceptions.