Find out about the coolest cars...Hot Rods! Hot Rods is a low level phonics reading book. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this nonfiction title features a fully decodable text, suitable for ages 9 - 13. Hot Rods covers the third set of basic letters and sounds that students meet in Phase 4 of Letters and Sounds, the UK Government's synthetic phonics reading programme. Hot Rods is part of Ransom Reading Stars Plus, a structured reading programme for students learning to read. The series has ten levels: four phonics levels (covering Letters and Sounds Phases 2 to 5) and six book bands (Pink through to Orange).