The circus mice

K-Gr 1-Each of these books emphasizes a specific sound, such as the "i" sound made by letters "i" and "y," as in "find" and "sky." Because the purpose is to work in as many of these sounds as possible, they take precedence over storytelling. The stories are passable as vehicles for phonics practice, but will not hold readers' attention on their own merits. Different authors have contributed to the series, but their creativity is restricted by the confines of the format, so the writing style does not vary much from one title to another. The illustrations range from cartoonish to painterly, but are not exceptional. Each title includes an introductory explanation of phonics, reading tips, and a pronunciation guide. Words that are being introduced for the first time, or are considered "tricky," are printed in bold. Appropriate for large collections with a strong need for phonics teaching tools.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.