I personally prefer the Dean Playmate 3/4 strat myself. It's a solid instrument, and I believe it is still about 100 bucks or so. It's on the second child (daughter graduated to a Kramer :P ) and being thrashed on daily by my 5 year old. I really have to find a picture of him playing behind his back with it. It's awesome.

Anywhoo, don't buy crap. You will be wasting your hard earned cash, and creating a frustrated child while you are at it.