Ship of Ghosts ¦ Danny's Great Goal ¦ Nicked! ¦ Eddie and the Zedlines

Despite all the puff from the publisher about the research they have done into children with reading difficulties, these titles seem strangely old-fashioned.

Ship of Ghosts begins well: 'There is blood on my hands. When I was very young I helped to kill a man. I am very old now, but I can never forget what I did.' It then falls away as it becomes a little over-complex as Mick learns the truth about his hero Captain Glenn. Danny's Great Goal is a hugely predictable football tale and Nicked! an almost as predictable school based crime story.

Eddie and the Zedlines is the most original and full of zany humour as Eddie manages to save the school newspaper from the threat of closure by the head, Mr Fairman (fair man - get it?). Locked overnight in the paper's 'office', he bangs his head and wakes to find himself gaining the help of the equipment that has come to life and that is horrified at the possible closure. Cue the word play - 'I'm lost for words,' said Crossword. 'It's a very sticky situation,' said the pot of glue. The horoscope let out a terrible moan. 'I see a dark future for us all.' Good comic-book stuff.