This series of eleven imaginative phonics books is a good alternative to Tales of Adventure. While just as challenging, the stories are more whimsical featuring tales of brave princesses, swashbuckling pirates and even a professional tiger fighter! This series is unique in that it has a book dedicated to each of the long vowels and all of their possible spellings.
Reading Level: 1.0 to 6.0
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, Long Vowels, Final Syllables
Length: 15 – 30 pages
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy
Binding: Digital Only
Intended Audience: Elementary School Students
Pep & His Pals
Join Pep and his friends as they spend a daring night in the mall, using quick thinking and teamwork to outwit a group of thieves.
Grade Level: 1.0
Concept: Blends (plan, dusk), Suffixes (jumped, spending), One-Syllable Words
Excerpt: “Pep and his pals planned to spend the night in the mall. It was Pep’s plan for he was the best kid at thinking. His thinking skills had all the moms and dads talking.”
Princess Pat
Travel to the whimsical Kingdom of Frogland, where Princess Pat is kidnapped by a mischievous puppet and saved by the courageous Prince Steve.
Grade Level: 2.1
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (prin/cess, king/dom), Suffixes (running, dropped)
Excerpt: “Princess Pat lived in the kingdom of Frogland. She had lots of fun. She pinned napkins on her dresses. She hit tennis balls with rackets.”
The Invaders
Discover the mystery of a strange capsule crash in a Nevada desert, unleashing a peculiar type of sagebrush.
Grade Level: 2.4 to 3.1
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (hun/dred, ob/ject), Silent E (white, hole), Suffixes (taking, exploded)
Excerpt: “Suddenly there was a flash across the sky. As the object got closer, Sheriff Graves was sure it was it was in the shape of a capsule. Boom! The object hit and exploded.”
The Rope Age
Follow Pete Jones as he grapples with family tradition, ultimately choosing between becoming a fireman or continuing his father’s rope-making legacy.
Grade Level: 2.4 to 3.0
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Change (be/gan), Silent E (tale, nice)
Excerpt: “Pop was the best rope man in the state, but the rope job did not bring in much cash. He made his living at his store that he called ‘The Rope Factory’.”
Pep Baker and the Case of the Stolen Vase
Help Pep Baker and his friends solve the mystery of a stolen golden vase, using clever deductions and teamwork to outwit thieves.
Grade Level: 3.9
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (for/mal, sis/ter), Vowel Change (be/fore, la/ter), Long E (evening, cheer)
Excerpt: “Pep Baker kicked the can before Jim completed his jump and so ended their fifth Kick the Can game of the evening.”
Surfin’ Safari
Dive into Kate’s fantastical surfing adventure, where she saves a dolphin from a hammerhead shark.
Grade Level: 3.0
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (num/bers), Vowel Change (be/fore), R-Controlled Vowels (morning, surf, dark, shirt)
Excerpt: “The first hint of sunrise hit her face. Kate dove with her board into the water and paddled off into the waves.”
Space Racer
Zoom into the future with Lebron Carter, a young racing prodigy from Saturn, as he competes in the Ultimate Galactic Race of the Century and rescues his friend Kiko from a dastardly rival.
Grade Level: 3.5
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (nor/mal), Vowel Change (pa/per), Diphthongs (around, cool, book, down)
Excerpt: “The difference between my life and yours is that I live on the planet Saturn. Another cool difference is that on Saturn, kids can drive cars at the age of ten. This is because we age quicker here on Saturn.”
Pep Baker and the Pirates of the Lost Pyramid
Embark on a thrilling Nile adventure with Pep Baker as he faces off against cunning pirates in Egypt and uncovers ancient secrets hidden within a mysterious pyramid.
Grade Level: 4.3
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (ex/claim), Vowel Change (de/fense), Long A (sail, vacate, say)
Excerpt: “The black ship had just appeared from behind a cluster of trees. It was taking down its British flag and raising a flag with a skull and crossbones on it.”
The Soap Boat
Set sail with Hope and Solo, two soap enthusiasts who team up to defeat pirates using the power of soap bubbles.
Grade Level: 5.1
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (hun/dred), Vowel Change (o/pen), Long O (roses, soap, snow)
Excerpt: “She was surrounded by the most exotic soaps, and had a good nose, which she used to smell all of the hundreds of fantastic soap smells.”
Tiger Fighter
Follow Ivan, a tiger fighter, as he travels the globe conquering his fears and ultimately learning a profound lesson about acceptance and understanding.
Grade Level: 4.7
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (ex/act), Vowel Change (ti/ger), Long I (tiger, fighter, ice)
Excerpt: “Ivan did not like tigers. He just did not like the way tigers looked. He didn’t like the stripes, or all the hair, or even the sharp claws.”
The Sleuth in the Blue Pajamas
Solve the case of the stolen fruit with a retired sleuth who chases down a mysterious thief in New York City, encountering unexpected twists and reunions.
Grade Level: 5.5
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (blan/ket), Vowel Change (sto/len), Long U (sleuth, blue, cute, juicy)
Excerpt: “This melon was a bad fruit and I had to act fast. With no time to get dressed, I threw myself out of my bedroom window and broke through the glass just as the big fruit exploded.”
Dark Night Skier
Race down the slopes of Colorado with a novice skier who braves his fears, navigates eerie mountain mysteries, and encounters the elusive phantom of the Rockies.
Grade Level: 6.0
Concept: Two-Syllable Words, Vowel Tag (ex/pert), Vowel Change (o/ver), Endings (contraption, picture)
Excerpt: “I learned the snowplow method and kept my ski tips pointed at each other in a triangle shape. This let me go down the hill at a relatively slow pace.”
