Barnes & NobleMiles Morales Untangles a Web by Terrance Crawford

Popular character with exciting tale

Superhero and action fans are going to enjoy experiencing an exciting adventure while working on their word skills. Miles Morales is excited to present his art project to the others, but finds that his files have gone missing. When others experience the same problem, he's sure a hacker is to blame but isn't sure how to go about locating them. Luckily King T'Challa's sister catches wind of the situation and just happens to be at hand to help with the issue. Together, they lay a trap, but what lands in their web is something much larger than they expected. This is the first in a new series of small chapter books for beginning readers. Anyone who knows the 'new' Spiderman, Miles Morales, will already have an idea about where this will head. There isn't any backstory, so pre-knowledge of the character is a little helpful, but it isn't necessary to enjoy this tale, either. The setting and situation is familiar enough for any Marvel knower to dive right in. And this one does have a quick moving plot, which is perfect for the age group. The adventure holds all the goodness expected of a superhero tale, keeping the tension high, the tech savvy, and the villains difficult to beat. Still, it's nothing overly harsh, either, and stays in the range of the intended age group. The writing flows nicely and keeps the pacing high. There are several more difficult vocabulary words built in, which pushes those skills along...but considering the fun the story provides, even reluctant readers probably won't shy away quickly. The dialogue is natural, and there are just enough descriptions as needed to move the story along. The rest is carried by the energetic illustrations, which take over the atmosphere and help readers along nicely. It's a fun beginning to what promises to be an exciting series...and at this first glance, promises to keep readers engaged to work those skills. I received an ARC and found it exciting and aimed at strengthening word skills.