During a routine test flight above the deserts of the Southwest, ace pilot HAL JORDAN has a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a UFO. His jet takes a nosedive, but before HAL bites the dust, a gigantic green hand appears, grabs the aircraft, and prevents the crash. The mysterious UFO reveals HAL'S alien rescuer who possesses an amazing green ring of untold power. What does HAL do when the alien offers him the ring, and announces that the human pilot is now the new GUARDIAN OF EARTH? Movie devotees will also be delighted to discover the "DC Super Heroes: Green Lantern" series from Stone Arch Books (Gr 2-6). Featuring fast-paced plots, straightforward language, and vibrant comic-book style artwork, these easy chapter books will appeal to newly confident readers as well as reluctant readers. Guardian of Earth recounts Hal Jordan's origin story in detail, while The Last Super Hero describes the training of the "Green Recruit" on the planet Oa, exercises that are interrupted when the teammates must fight an evil enemy. This human hero, sometimes aided by other ring-wearing allies, takes on an array of foes to repeatedly save the universe in Battle of the Blue Lanterns, Beware Our Power!, High-Tech Terror, and The Light King Strikes! Each of these stand-alone adventures has enough plot twists and kapow to hold readers' interest, without becoming overwhelming in length or complexity. The texts are sprinkled with colorfully presented sound effects and supported with full-page illustrations. Each high-interest volume ends with a two-page profile of a featured character, a glossary of challenging vocabulary, discussion questions, and writing prompts. http: //www.slj.com/slj/articlereview/890788-451/watch_and_read_power_rings.html.csp-- "SLJ Extra Helping" Michael Dahl is the prolific author of the bestselling Goodnight, Baseball picture book and more than 200 other books for children and young adults. He has won the Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award three times for his nonfiction, a Teachers' Choice Award from Learning Magazine, and a Seal of Excellence from the Creative Child Awards. Dahl currently lives in Minnesota.