Buzz Beaker and the Speed Secret

January 1, 2011

Gr 1-2-These two Level 3 "Reading Alone" beginning readers present Buzz Beaker, a young African-American inventor. Each story is introduced with a facsimile of Buzz's ebook-bound notebook that showcases the story's main characters, Buzz's drawings, and the featured invention. In Outer Space Trip, Buzz talks to his dog about problems he has experienced building a functioning spaceship. That night, Buzz and Raggs become stowaways on an alien spaceship and get a tour of the ship and the aliens' planet. In Speed Secret, Buzz invents a paint that enables him to win a downhill ski race, defeating the champion skier Vesa. Both books end with humorous plot twists that could be interesting discussion starters. Complemented by bold, cartoon-style illustrations, they include lists of important "story words" and tips for supporting beginning readers. Both stories will be fun for children learning to read.-Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

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