Grade 7 Up–Yet another PSAT/SAT verbal study guide cloaked in the guise of a novel. This time, however peculiar, Phillips opts for a retelling of Pinocchio as a starting block for this junior study guide. The tale itself reads quickly not because of great writing, but more likely due to the novel's taking up less than half of the space on each page.
The other half, or three-quarters as the case may be, consists of footnoted definitions of the words embedded in boldface in the text. The kid-friendly definitions are highly readable and useful, though there could be some question of authority since they aren't derived directly from a dictionary.
Each definition is usually followed by an italicized and interesting sentence that further clarifies the word's meaning. All in all, Phillips's attempt is laudable, but the overall work itself is less than effective. This classic tale begs an elementary school audience instead of the targeted middle- or junior high student, especially since more dynamic and age-appropriate topics for this genre can be found elsewhere.
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