Monstrous but with a wink.
A human child in England helps the undead and supernatural creatures who raised her confront a threat to all organized monsterdom.
As if a sour new head teacher who seems bent on forcing her expulsion isn’t trouble enough for light-skinned, redheaded 10-year-old Theodora, the sudden arrival of imperious Inspector Mary Shelley and sneering Ratsputin, her snake-tailed rodent sidekick, cranks up the tension at home—otherwise known as the London branch of the Monstrous League of Monsters. Kopy populates her work with a variety of creatures, from motherly Mummy the mummy and house dad Dracula to Sherman the talking tarantula, Goldie the giant human-headed cobra, and gargoyles named Bob and Sally. In keeping with the light overall tone, Theodora is perfectly at ease among all the creepy characters, and in Jevons’ many black-and-white illustrations they look more cartoonish than frightening. The humor even takes a sly turn when Goldie hints at the precise kind of monster that Shelley is with the observation that, while not all monsters are authors, the opposite may not be true. Proving that she is as capable of tackling an evil home invader with keen martial arts moves as she is organizing a festive Halloween fair for the community, Mummy is the hero of this second series entry. But Theodora joins Dexter, her Nigerian British classmate who has a stutter, and others in a successful act of civil disobedience at school, offering her a chance to shine, too.
Monstrous but with a wink. (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781665906869
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans.
Only children, rejoice! A cozy mystery just for you! (People with siblings will probably enjoy it too.)
Debut novelist Cornett introduces the One and Onlys, a trio of mystery-solving only kids: Gloria Longshanks “Shanks” Hill, Alexander “Peephole” Calloway, and narrator Paul (alas, no nickname) Marconi. The trio has a knack for finding and solving low-level mysteries, but they come up against a true head-scratcher when the yard of a resident of their small town is covered in rubber ducks overnight. Working ahead of Officer Portnoy, who’s a little on the slow side, can Paul, Shanks, and Peephole solve the mystery? Cornett has a lot of fun with this adventure, dropping additional side mysteries, a subplot about small businesses, big corporations, and economics, and a town’s love of bratwurst into the mix. Most importantly, he plays fair with the clues throughout, allowing astute readers to potentially solve the case ahead of the trio. The tone and mystery are perfect for younger readers who want to test their detective skills but are put off by anything scary or gory. The pacing would serve well for chapter-by-chapter read-alouds. If there are any quibbles, it’s the lack of diversity of the cast, as it defaults white. Diversity exists in small towns, and this one is crying out for more. Hopefully a sequel will introduce additional faces.
Delightful fun for budding mystery fans. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-3003-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Supernatural mystery meets generational drama with hopeful endings for all.
Eleven-year-old Frank must solve a supernatural mystery to save his new home.
As fifth grade comes to an end, Frank Fernández is looking forward to finally staying put in Alabama for a second year, as promised, after a childhood spent following his parents’ home renovation work all across the country. Frequent relocation has made Frank wary of forming friendships or making plans, but his hopes for more stability are temporarily dashed when his parents announce plans to renovate a lighthouse in the Florida Keys, near where his mother grew up and his father’s home country of Cuba. Papi promises this will be their last move, though: The lighthouse will be theirs. But from their first day on Spectacle Key, things seem to go wrong: Tensions rise between his parents, and Frank’s hopes of a forever home are under threat from seemingly supernatural forces. In order to put down roots, Frank and new ghostly friend Connie, a White girl with freckles, must discover what secrets the island is hiding, uncovering Frank’s own family roots along the way. Frank is a fan of horror—he names his new Great Dane puppy Mary Shelley. But though there is some mild peril to be found, rather than a ghostly thriller, this is an appealing, lightly spooky family drama with valuable lessons for those who would hide from a difficult past instead of confronting and healing generational trauma.
Supernatural mystery meets generational drama with hopeful endings for all. (Supernatural. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-313481-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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