Booster is Imagine Language & Literacy's flagship character; he's a robot that helps BOOST your students' knowledge and confidence.
With the product's 20th anniversary in 2024, new characters called Mazels came on the scene. Learn all about them in the tables below; they are grouped by their hang-out locations.
| Habitat: The Book Club Clubhouse | ||
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Lexi, Blurb, Lexi’s little brother Kamus, and Blurb’s little sister Novella are the students’ peers, joining them on their journey to become better readers. Novella and Kamus are working hard on their foundational reading skills so that they can fully participate in Lexi and Blurb’s Book Club. |
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| Picture | Name | Description |
| Blurb |
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Kamus
Nifty Name Note: Kamus (kam-MOO) is from the Arabic word "qamus," meaning "dictionary." |
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Lexi
Nifty Name Note: Lexi is short for “Lexicon.” |
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Novella |
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| Habitat: The Letter Museum | ||
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Letters are the building blocks of literacy, and Dr. Phoenician is the Lady of Letters, the Academic of ABCs, the PhD of Phonics ready to help Novella, Kamus, and their friends learn about letter shapes, letter sounds, and phonemic awareness. She frequently goes on amazing adventures to collect new letter specimens to exhibit at the Letter Museum. |
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| Picture | Name | Description |
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Dr. Phoenician
Nifty Name Note: Dr. Phoenician is named for the Phoenician alphabet, which was one of the earliest forerunners of the alphabet we use today. |
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| Habitat: The Gab-n-Go Word Bodega | ||
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Ever find yourself at a loss for words? Then look no further than the Gab-n-Go! Mr. G keeps his bodega fully stocked with a plethora of handy words, perfect for any occasion! The magnitude of his vocabulary is rivaled only by the amplitude of his mustache, and Mr. G loves sharing his latest word arrivals with students. Just don’t say the words too loud -- you don’t want to wake the cats! |
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| Picture | Name | Description |
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Mr. G Nifty Name Note: |
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| Mr. G's cats |
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| Habitat: Nature | ||
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| Picture | Name | Description |
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Alva
Nifty Name Note: Because Alva and Shawn Dean are the Mazel community’s resident rays of sunshine, both of their names have associations with the sun. Alva’s name comes from the Portuguese word "alvorada," meaning “dawn.” |
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Shawn Dean
Nifty Name Note: Based on her sunny disposition, Shawn Dean’s name originates from the Diné (Navajo) word "sháńdíín," meaning “ray of sun." |
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| Habitat: The Recording Studio | ||
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Recording yourself speaking, singing, or reading aloud can be daunting. Fortunately, Boom, Slider, and their state-of-the-art recording equipment are here for all of your audio needs! Boom has a real eye for talent, having worked with some of the biggest Mazels in the industry. Joining him is his apprentice Slider, whose accomplishments include “listening to the radio,” “calling into a radio station,” and “winning a radio contest.” Together, they will work their hardest to get the best performance possible, turning your students into stars! |
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| Picture | Name | Description |
| Boom Nifty Name Note: Boom is named for a boom microphone. |
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| Slider Nifty Name Note: Slider is named for the slider bars on a sound board. |
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Our last character is not a Mazel, but we love her anyway.
| Habitat: Space | ||
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| Picture | Name | Description |
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Nina Lemur
Nifty Name Note: Nina “Laser” Lemur got her call sign (“Laser”) as a Space Cadet when she identified 200 high-frequency words in a row with pinpoint accuracy. |
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