Spook-tacular!
A self-proclaimed ghost expert instructs readers on how to rid their homes of spirits.
“GOT GHOSTS?” asks Hugo, a dark-skinned child with huge eyes and a mop of black curls. “Thinkin’ about ditchin’ your apparition? Do you want to give your spirit a lift? Force out your phantom? Boot out your boo? Then you’ve come to the right book!” Hugo brags about having ousted a ghost, then suggests that readers try a few experiments to determine if they really have a ghost at home (look for ectoplasm, set up a camera). Hugo then identifies typical ghostly behaviors (spirits are prone to boredom and enjoy pranks) and offers suggestions for getting rid of them (shriek “Bam shicka lam shicka boom boom bam,” practice playing your recorder as loudly as you can). All the while, the ghost whom Hugo supposedly banished follows the unaware child from room to room. Eventually, child and ghost meet and talk, with encouraging results. This graphic novel aimed at younger readers features exaggerated cartoon illustrations and silly exchanges between Hugo and the ghost. The tale brims with wordplay, visual gags, potty humor, and whimsy. (Who knew ghosts love to short-sheet each other?) The text is concise, making it ideal for reluctant readers. Some sophisticated vocabulary is incorporated, and the burgeoning friendship between Hugo and the ghost is heartening.
Spook-tacular! (Graphic fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781771475877
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
Approachable and comfortably predictable.
A young ghost arrives at Scare School.
Unlike big sister Bella, late bloomer Bash has never been good at “all the GHOST STUFF.” Dad’s sure that Scare School is just what Bash needs. Bash isn’t so certain; he’s intimidated by his classmates and teachers. But he perks up when he meets his roommate, Itsy, a smart, welcoming spider, though he vows to steer clear of mean-spirited Vlad and Vicky. Still, the dreaded Creature Aptitude Test worries Bash. To pass, he must pass through solid objects and turn himself invisible—skills he struggles with. Bash doesn’t want to be kicked out of school, so he’ll have to buckle down. With Itsy’s help and encouragement from his classmates, Bash realizes he’s more capable than he thought. Written in first person from endearingly anxious Bash’s point of view, the book has a diarylike feel. The text is presented in a handwritten font, while grayscale cartoon illustrations are peppered throughout. The supportive, sincere friendship between Bash and Itsy is the most compelling part of the story. Letters between Bash and Bella shed further light on Bash’s personality and their relationship. Though the book’s takeaway—believe in yourself, and you can do anything—is a familiar one, it’s just what many children need…and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?
Approachable and comfortably predictable. (Fiction. 6-8)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922098
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
Frightful and delightful: a comforting (to some, anyway) reminder that no one sleeps alone.
In a tardy prequel to I Need My Monster (2009), candidates for that coveted spot under the bed audition.
As the distressingly unflappable young narrator looks on, one monster after another gives it a go—but even with three mouths, the best roar Genghis can manage is a puny “blurp!”, silly shadow puppets by shaggy Morgan elicit only a sneeze, and red Abigail’s attempt to startle by hiding in the fridge merely leaves her shivering and pathetic. Fortunately, there’s Gabe, who knows just how to turn big and hairy while lurking outside the bathroom and whose red-eyed stare and gross drooling sends the lad scrambling into bed to save his toes. “Kid, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” the toothy terror growls. Right he is, the lad concludes, snuggling down beneath the covers: “His snorts and ooze were perfect.” As usual, the white-presenting child’s big, bright, smiling face and the assortment of bumbling monsters rendered in oversaturated hues keep any actual scariness at tentacle’s length. Moreover, Monster, Inc. fans will delight in McWilliam’s painstaking details of fang, claw, hair, and scales.
Frightful and delightful: a comforting (to some, anyway) reminder that no one sleeps alone. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-947277-09-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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