Gr 3-6-All three of these stories have a scattered, random feel and the same introduction: the Dark Man has the power to save the world from the evil Shadow Masters. Aimed at reluctant readers, the books have only a few lines per page and about 15 pages of text. Unfortunately, there is no depth or continuity to the tales, and they're unlikely to hold the attention of their intended audience. In the first title, a boy leads the Dark Man through tunnels to the Fire of Doom. In Hides, he dreams about his childhood and monsters. Finally, the Dark Man learns that his destiny is to find the Golden Cup and keep it from the Shadow Masters. The books all have back matter with information related to the tales (for example, about dreams), discussion questions, and writing prompts, all of which have more meat than the stories and are written at a higher reading level (as is the introduction). FactHound links to material on nightmares and dreams are also at a more sophisticated reading level. The internal illustrations use only a few colors per page and have a graphic-novel-like look. They are more compelling than the stories, but the covers are unlikely to attract readers.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.