Meet the Singer! (Step Into Reading)

Gr 1-3--This transitional book introduces readers to musical phenom Poppy Starr. When Poppy comes to town, the local students are beyond excited. But due to circumstances out of everyone's control, Poppy is not able to film her music video at the planned location. Poppy's team arranges instead to film at the school gym, and the kids are featured dancing and singing in the background. Readers will feel a true sense of being on the scene as the story unfolds using lots of media jargon in readable one- and two-syllable words. The illustrations provide great visual cues for early readers. Not only does this title have pop music appeal, but the characters are all LEGO figures, and the book is based on a story by popular children's picture book author Erica Perl. It's perfect for readers who are musically and socially aware of pop culture. VERDICT An all-around winner for vibrant colors and characters, and for getting kids to read.--Linda Annable