Book review: Gilly’s Monster Trap, by Cyndi Marko

 Marko, Cyndi. Gilly’s Monster Trap. Simon & Schuster, 2023. Unpaged. $18.99 cloth. ISBN 978-16659-07552. Ages 4-8 years. P9Q9

Gilly is a young girl who loves to put on her flippers and paddle around the bay. Until something in the water steals her flippers off of her feet. The town gets scared of the ‘monster’ and Gilly finally figures out what the creature is. Of course, with fun illustrations and lots of great text to read, they mystery is solved and all is well in Lighthouse Bay again.

VERDICT: This was a fun story. It had a few layers to it that I found interesting and would keep readers engaged. The mystery of the monster, our girl Gilly with her love of water, and some true facts at the end of the book about this real life creature. Also, how small towns can exaggerate and freak out about things makes the creature mystery move along. There is a lot of text on the pages, so the story is a fun one to read alone or aloud. Very enjoyable.

Review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: The Brave Friend Leads the Way, by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Miles Thompson

Esbaum, Jill. The Brave Friend Leads the Way. (Thunder and Cluck series). Illustrated by Miles Thompson. Simon Spotlight, 2021. $17.99. ISBN: 978-1-5344.8655-3. 64p. Ages 5-7. P6Q6

This “Ready to Read Graphics, Level 1” begins with a two-page spread of directions on how to read graphic novels in the sequel to Friends Do Not Eat Friends. The huge dinosaur and the small bird debate going into the scary cave to cool off and dare the other to prove bravery. The trip is a success until they hug each other for safety and find that there’s a furry monster between them.

Verdict: One use for the book is searching for opposites; i.e., a cool-looking pool of water is really hot. Parents will enjoy using the didactic book with small children.

December 2021 book review by Nel Ward.

Book review: Monster and Boy, by Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Anoosha Syed

Barnaby, Hannah. Monster and Boy. Illustrated by Anoosha Syed. (Monster and Boy chapter book series). Henry Holt & Co, 2020. $13.99. ISBN 9781250217837. 132 pages. Ages 6-9. P7 Q7

The monster who lives under the boy’s bed knows all about the boy and loves the boy. When the monster appears, the boy gets ready to scream, so the monster…. swallows the boy! Not quite what the reader is expecting. How will the monster get the boy out? Once the boy is out, his condition creates another problem that needs to be solved. Told from a narrator about the monster and boy. The simple drawings show the gentle monster, the main character in the chapter book. This easy to read, simple chapter book has a nice amount of space between lines. The illustrations and text are on relaxing green and white pages. This is the first book in the series.

Verdict: Very unexpected for a monster book, but also appealing at the same time. Very sweet in spite of a monster eating a child. The monster and the child develop a bond that is enduring. Appeals to children and includes a little toilet incident. Easy read and engaging, the reader will wonder what will happen to the boy. I recommended it and look forward to the sequel.

October 2020 review by Harris.

Book review: The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road, by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate

Brallier, Max. The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road. Illustrated by Douglas Holgate. (Last Kids on Earth series, book 6). Viking, 2020. 311 pages. $13.99. ISBN 9781984835345. Ages 7-12. P7 Q7

If you like creatures and action, you will enjoy this action-packed adventure. The adventure starts off with urgency as Jack Sullivan and his crew are furiously searching for the villainous Thrull and his skeleton army and ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger. Even though this is book 6, it centers around a road trip which is different from the first five books. The reader is introduced to new creative creatures and places. To catch the readers up to date, the author includes a recap called “recap action.” This sequel includes familiar gadgets, intellect and the trademark humor as the first five books. Heavily illustrated, the black and white illustrations take up a large amount of some of the page. This book is from A Netflix Original Series. It can stand alone, but it would be more enjoyable as part of the series. Book 6 of 7.

Verdict: If you have been following the series, you will want to read this book. With this epic adventure, there is never a dull moment. My favorite illustration is of a monster with curvy horns and a beak. Her huge sword is engraved with the words “I mean business.” If you like the Netflix Original Series, you will want to read the book.

October 2020 review by Harris.

Book review: Felix and the Monsters, by Josh and Monica Holtsclaw

Holtsclaw, Josh, and Monica Holtsclaw. Felix and the Monsters. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020. Unpaged. $17.99. ISBN 9780593110522. Ages 3-6. P8Q8

Felix, whose day job is to guard the wall that keeps the monsters out, really wants only to play his portable keyboard—a keytar—and make music.  The other guards who really like guarding the wall tell him to either guard the wall or get another job.  One day, while on guard duty, Felix loses himself in an epic keytar solo. He is startled to hear an awesome bass guitar riff accompanying his music.  When he looks for the musician, he finds a round-eared monster named Dot who invites Felix to come over the wall to play with the other musicians there.  When the guards find Felix missing, they head over the wall to rescue him.  Music, as always, (along with bad dance moves) comes to the rescue and peace ensues.

Verdict: The artwork shows a strong difference between the blocky, angular regimented side of the wall and the rounded, brightly colored side where the “monsters” create art and music.  The language sometimes has a hippy vibe and the humor inherent in the pursuing guards being disarmed by dancing (badly) to the music will entertain young listeners.  Recommended for preschool, elementary and public library collections.

October 2020 review by Jane Cothron.

Book review: Born to Run, by Jason Walz

Walz, Jason. Born to Run. (Last Pick series, book 2). First Second, 2019. $17.99. 236p. ISBN 978-1-62672-893-6. Ages 10-14. P8Q8

In this dark dystopian sequel to Last Pick (2018), in which aliens took almost every able-bodied person, the few people on Earth work to reclaim their planet from the monsters. The action is split between twins, a boy on Earth and the girl who was taken a year ago. On a foreign planet, Sam and her friend Mia are forced to exterminate captured aliens; on Earth, Sam’s autistic twin Wyatt leads the resistance.

Verdict: The author addresses the ethical question of when killing is appropriate amidst fast-paced action, much of it wordless, with disgusting blobby creatures, some of them friendly. He also develops the characters as Sam begins to show her desire for Mia, and Wyatt begins to perceive himself as a leader and growing interest in Harper, who is deaf. An excellent book but depressing in a world of almost certain destruction for a foreign force.

May 2020 review by Nel Ward.

Book review: Monster Trucks, by Joy Keller, illustrated by Misa Saburi

Keller, Joy. Monster Trucks. Illustrated by Misa Saburi. Henry Holt, 2017. Unpaged. $16.99 cloth. ISBN 978-1627796170. Ages 4 and up. P9Q9

We all know what monsters do in the fall, but what do they do for a job the rest of the year? This fun story explores how monsters each do what they are suited best for the rest of the year. Yetis plow snow, of course, and every monster is depicted here in wonderful rhyming verse using all sorts of machines to pave roads, dig holes, and many other daily jobs. The illustrations are full of movement and color and lots of action, along with some humor.

VERDICT: This story is full of action and will make kids think, “well, that makes complete sense they would do that job the rest of the year.” And the verse lends well to a romp in rhyme that children will want to jump up and join into. A creative idea, and explains why we don’t see those monsters under our beds most of the year.

July 2020 review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays, by Jon Stahl, illustrated by Tadgh Bentley

Stahl, Jon. Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays. Illustrated by Tadgh Bentley. Scholastic Press, 2019.  40 pages.  $17.99 cloth. ISBN 9781338125511. Ages 4 and up. P10Q9

Two monsters, one blue and a bit grumpy, and one yellow, and a bit gentler, decide to come together and create a story that starts with, “once upon a time” but goes hilariously awry as each monster tosses in their suggestion on how the story should unfold. The illustrations are bold and the two voices in the story make it a wonderful read aloud tale.

VERDICT: I really enjoyed this story. It made me laugh, and I enjoyed doing the voices of both monsters as it changed from grumpy additions to the story to more romantic and kinder twists. Somehow, it really worked, and reading it out loud was fun and upbeat.  This will be a book that kids will enjoy reading over and over, and adults will also have fun participating in.

July 2020 review by Lynne Wright.

Book review: Mighty Jack and Zita the Space Girl, by Ben Hatke

Hatke, Ben. Mighty Jack and Zita the Space Girl. First Second, 2019. $14.99. 253p. ISBN 978-1-250-19173-1. Ages 9-12. P8Q8

Hatke combines two of his series, Mighty Jack and Zita the Space Girl, to save the world from the army of vengeful giants and screeds intent on escaping their imprisonment and eliminating humans. Jack and his team are back from befriending dragons and goblins while Zita and her crew are taking some time off after their interplanetary adventures. Superhuman teens Zita and Jack become fast friends, but Lily doesn’t approve of their relationship until giants try to break through a portal to Earth.

Verdict: Double the pleasure in this classic graphic novel brings friendly robots and goblins to fight fearsome skeletons and giants in a potpourri of fantasy figures in fast-paced excitement. Themes of responsibility, jealousy, and coming-of-age come from the Jack books in a satisfying crossover that may finish both series or start a new one. The high quality of artwork live up to expectations of earlier Hatke graphic novels.

May 2020 review by Nel Ward.

Book review: Wolfie Monster and the Big Bad Pizza Battle, by Joey Ellis

Ellis, Joey. Wolfie Monster and the Big Bad Pizza Battle. Graphix/Scholastic, 2019. $12.99. 125p. ISBN 978-1-338-18603-1. Ages 8-12. P8Q8

Wolfie, Roy, and Jackson, three very different brothers who have inherited the Magic Cheez Pizza place from their uncle, also have different approaches toward the business. Jackson is the practical one while Roy wants to spend all his time gaming in his apartment. It’s Wolfie who loves the business with an enthusiasm that drives Jackson crazy. These differences come into play when evil Lord Mudpants, who decides to control the world with his zombie-making Happy Leaf drink, wants to buy the pizza place, and Wolfie opposes the sale. The villain’s method of forcing the sale by replacing Wolfie with a robot throws the entire town into chaos, but the three brothers, with the help of new sensible friend Bea, foil the plan by fighting back with their secret pizza recipe.

Verdict: The panels are filled with purple and orange primary characters combatting the green townspeople both before and after drinking the Happy Leaf potion. The silliness of the plot creates fun, and the zany, sometimes cluttered, panels add to the past-paced adventure.

May 2020 review by Nel Ward.