The series of books like that many years ago really did help kids to read. When I tried to talk a middle school librarian into getting some, or accepting some for the school library, she sneered at the idea. Said that in her experience, kids did not like such things and they wanted books to read about kids like themselves!!!!!!
All the while there was a line like a bunch of ants of little girls and later boys, borrowing my kids' books.
I'd sure like to have seen that librarian when the Harry Potter books came out..I saw 8 and 9 year olds clutching their copies at Costco, and they were happily sounding out the words in that book! The author said that many publishers sent her book back, saying it had too many hard words in it, too many twists and turns and it was far too hard for kids it was aimed at.
I'll bet heads rolled when that series was finally bought by some forward looking publisher!!! Now that author is no longer a welfare mom but a multimillionaire! And I'll bet her first husband who dumped her often breaks his leg kicking himself in the rear!!