Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--4--Emmy and Birch jump on their beds as they consider their next Minecraft adventure. As Birch wants to jump higher, Emmy has an idea. Why not gather slime blocks and make a trampoline? However, Birch wants to jump even higher. In fact, he wants to fly. In her Minecraft resource chest, Emmy stores a pair of wings called elytra. But before she can warn Birch that the wings are old, he takes off, and then falls. "Emmy knew how to fix the wings. They would need to find a phantom and stay awake for three days!" Encountering mobs, creepers, and slimes on their adventure, Emmy and Birch must work together to fight their phantom, fix the wings, and soar. This Minecraft reader successfully moves from game to story. With text and illustrations that realistically portray Minecraft's virtual world, this book has a positive theme about working together to obtain collective goals. Not only must Emmy and Birch stay awake to fight the phantom for wings, but they also need to put their heads together to create new adventures. Although this book does not necessarily present a traditional plot structure, the language and illustrations work in tandem to transition early readers from reading basic sentences to decoding and comprehending more complex text. This is the perfect read for video gamers transitioning to independent reading and to appreciating stories. VERDICT A sure pick for Minecraft enthusiasts who may need a way in to reading practice and peer connections.--Jennifer Strattman
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