Join Dr. Ralf and his two young assistant detectives, George and Jon, on ten action packed escapades in this thrilling sci-fi/adventure series. The three detectives embark on mysteries that include a supernatural fog, a ghost ship, a time traveling twister, a velociraptor from the planet Mars, a woman with the remarkable ability to turn into any animal in the ocean, and many more!
Reading Level: 1.0 to 7.5
Phonics Concepts: One Syllable, Two Syllable, and Multi Syllable Words; Open/Closed Syllables, Consonant Digraphs, Blends, Vowel Tag, Vowel Change, Silent E, R-Controlled Vowels, Diphthongs, Vowel Teams, Complex Vowel Teams, Advanced Vowel Teams, Final Syllables
Length: 30 – 76 pages
Genre: Adventure/Science Fiction
Intended Audience: Upper Elementary/Middle School Students
The Fog
Bill and Tom investigate a mysterious fog that causes island residents to disappear. With the help of Dr. Ralf and his young detectives, George and Jon, they uncover a sinister operation.
Grade Level: 0.8 to 1.5
Concept: One Syllable Words, Consonant Digraphs (chant, path), Blends (plump, front); Suffixes (yelled, digging)
Excerpt: “Jon glanced at the thick grass and could see it move. Jon grabbed his special glasses. Something had Dr. Ralf. It had the build of a man, yet it was fog. It had Dr. Ralf and was dragging him to the cliff.”
Ghost Ship
A haunted ship terrorizes New Orleans with cannon fire and eerie appearances. Join Dr. Ralf and his team as they expose the truth behind the ship.
Grade Level: 1.6 to 3.3
Concept: Two Syllable Words, Suffixes (tossing, quickly), Vowel Tag (en/gine, con/tact)
Excerpt: “Dr. Ralf has special infrared binoculars to see ships in the black of night. All the detectives were scanning the river for a ship with a skull and crossbones on the flag. As they got to a bend in the river, George had a glimpse of something strange.”
French Quarter Phantom
A phantom with the ability to produce electric shocks roams Jackson Square, terrifying locals. Can Dr. Ralf and his team uncover its mysteries?
Grade Level: 3.2 to 4.0
Concept: Two Syllable Words, Silent E (vampire, rope), Vowel Tag (ex/plode), Vowel Change (clo/sest, o/pen)
Excerpt: “The young detectives watched as an inky black figure drifted into the square. It was like the old pictures of Dracula. It had a black cape and seemed to drift, not walk, into the square. As the figure passed the old square’s lantern, its eyes reddened.”
Time Tunnel
A swirling mist transports people through time. Dr. Ralf, George, and Jon travel back to 1899 to uncover the truth of the time tunnel.
Grade Level: 3.7 to 4.7
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (fran/tic, hun/gry), Vowel Change (be/hind), Vowel Teams (beach, breeze), R-Controlled Vowels (church, corner, older)
Excerpt: “It seemed like only a few seconds before George, Jon, and Dr. Ralf tumbled out of the spinning funnel. They landed on Center Street in Parker, Oregon, in the year 1899. They didn’t realize they had been transported in time, but they realized they were not in Jackson Square anymore.”
Martian Raptor
An alien raptor from Mars wreaks havoc on Earth!
Grade Level: 3.0 to 4.0
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (vic/tim, dis/tance), Vowel Change (ho/ping) R-Controlled Vowels (dinner, raptor), Diphthongs (doomed, around, pause)
Excerpt: “Suddenly, something moved. Bill was startled and rushed back toward the entrance of the cavern. Something was after him. He yelled, but the thing was on him. He looked up and saw a flash of red as he fell.”
LA Raptor
The Martian raptor resurfaces in Los Angeles, threatening the city. Dr. Ralf and his team work with locals in an attempt to outwit and eliminate the creature.
Grade Level: 3.8 to 4.6
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (stam/pede), Vowel Change (re/fer), R-Controlled Vowels (expert, color, spectacular), Diphthongs (sounds, noise, growl)
Excerpt: “Coy had his revolver pulled as he entered the cave, yet he didn’t feel confident. He nodded at Beth as she ran around to the back of the cave looking for another point of entrance. She was sure the raptor would have an escape route planned.”
Creature from the Caribbean Sea
A sea creature terrorizes St. Thomas. Dr. Ralf’s team confronts it with new weapons and tactics.
Grade Level: 3.6 to 5.6
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Vowel Teams (freeze, spray, approach), Complex Vowel Teams (heading, lights), Endings (additional, obviously, incredible)
Excerpt: “As Sue and tweed looked at the bow, they saw two large, red, claw-like hands grabbing the bow of the ship. With one swift movement, the front of the shipped was ripped completely off. Water rushed in, and the ship’s stern rose into the air as the ship plummeted into the sea.”
Alien Attack
Mechanical raptors invade Earth, targeting critical infrastructure. The detectives must travel to the aliens’ home planet to confront this threat.
Grade Level: 4.6 to 6.0
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Vowel Teams (pain, proceed), Complex Vowel Teams (measure, night), Advanced Vowel Teams (fiend, receive)
Excerpt: “The raptors pursued them and maintained the same speed as the car. Dr. Ralf was very frustrated when he realized the raptors could accelerate faster than his car. Two raptors were running right next to both front doors.”
Ocean Woman
Heather Wood, a photographer with the ability to transform into sea creatures, saves lives while discovering her hidden power.
Grade Level: 6.1 to 7.6
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Final Syllables (contraption, enormous), Complex Vowel Teams (Heather), Advanced Vowel Teams (neighbor)
Excerpt: “A school of fish passed Heather as she was going through the transformation. The leading fish was the faster water creature she had ever seen, and she wished she had the speed of that fish. Instantly Heather was transformed into the fish she had thought about.”
The Caribbean Crisis
Heather and the team face off against the Caribbean raptor in a final confrontation. They’ll have to use innovative tools and teamwork to capture the creature and send it back to Mars.
Grade Level: 4.4 to 5.7
Concept: Multi Syllable Words, Final Syllables (commotion, detective), Complex Vowel Teams (Heather), Advanced Vowel Teams (receive)
Excerpt: “Heather had regained consciousness and made a quick decision about how to deal with the raptor. The raptor and the octopus spun around in the water for fifteen to twenty minutes, and then they disappeared beneath the sea. The three detectives could do nothing but watch.”
