Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live near a monster?  Sure it would be scary at times, but admit it: you think it would be pretty cool!  Well, it might not be as cool if you live in a town like Stoker-on-Avon.  In a world where towns take pride in their local monster and even sell souvenirs with their image, Stoker-on-Avon got the short end of the stick.  Their monster hasn't terrorized the town in ages and his sighs can be heard from miles away as he mopes around in his cave.  If its citizens want to have any pride in their town or attract tourists, they're going to have to whip their monster into shape!

I love the way this comic turns the idea of a village monster on its head.  The way the monsters have been commodified like Disney characters and the excited looks on the villagers' faces when they attack is hilarious!  Even more funny is the angsty teenager in a monster's form.  Even the body language is perfect as the monster slouches and flops down with his arm draped over his eyes.   I'd give this to anyone looking for a humorous fantasy comic.

Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell

Eric'as Pick
4th - 6th grade
Tags: Adventure, Comics, Fantasy, Humor

Have you ever been on a road trip that seemed like it would never end?  Imagine if instead of a car you were in a boat lost in the middle of the ocean with supplies running low and only a bear who is probably lost and possibly completely crazy for company.  'I spy' gets boring pretty quickly when the only things to see are the sea and the sky. Through monster attacks and ghost ships, things look pretty bad for the boy and the bear.  But despite it all they keep sailing.

The title describes the book well.  The novel starts with the boy boarding a boat with a bear for a captain and that's the way things stay.  The loveable but incompetent bear is charming and the illustrations are delightful.  The completely absurd situation they are in makes it hard not to laugh even when things are looking grim.

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th grade
Tags: Adventure, Animals, Humor

It's senior year and Danielle can't wait for it to be over. With her frizzy red hair, quirky tastes, and OCD she sticks out like a sore thumb.  Despite all the trauma she endures at school, she finds it comforting to catalog her days there.  She accomplishes this through a color-coded binder in which she keeps all her English essays, notes, important e-mails, and day-to-day journals.  Experience school through her eyes and find out if Senior year will be the disaster she's expecting.

I loved the epistolary format with Danielle’s essays, journals, etc.  There were many great characters like her aunt who was always ready with words of wisdom, her friend Daniel who introduced her to The Dude, and her pen pal Justine.  What really made the book was Danielle's frank and often humorous descriptions of her life, her dreams, and her worries.  I'd give this to teens looking for a high school misfit story.  

OCD, the Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn

Erica's Pick
7th & 8th grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Diaries, Friendship, Humor, Issues Fiction, School Stories

This is a book about life in a military family and improvisation.  You might not think of classic theatre games when you hear the word ‘military’, but they fit perfectly together. Life in the military involves accepting a lot of difficult decisions that you don’t get to make. Like when Gari’s mother is shipped off to Iraq and she has to move in with her cousin’s family. Her uncle is a Colonel and lives on an air force base and his son, Bo is sick of it all. He is not thrilled about his cousin moving in, and even less thrilled to find out they will be in the same class with an insane teacher who tapes off part of the room and sticks a smelly, old couch in it. But as the year goes on and they learn more about improv, they learn to take whatever life throws at them and say “Yes, and”.

This book  is an interesting window into life on a military base. The story flips back and forth between Bo and Gari's perspectives.  Miss Loupe’s improvisation exercises were fun to read about and I liked how she took the improv mentality and applied it to the real world.  I’d give this to students with an interest in the military, improvisation, or those just looking for a good school story.

Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th Grade
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Family Life, School Stories

Even though New Whitby is known as a haven for vampires, Mel hardly ever sees any.  The vampires stay in their part of town, and mostly only tourists go there.   Which is why everyone is shocked when Frances shows up to school in his UV protection suit. Cathy immediately falls for his sculpted good looks, but Mel recognizes him for what he is: a crazy astronaut suit full of trouble.  And she's determined to keep her best friend out of harm's way. Unfortunately Cathy is just as determined to get to know the walking history book.

Mel's sarcastic jabs at the vampires are amusing and I like the way she’s  she's forced to face her prejudice and re-examine it.  When she meets a human boy raised by vampires with some interesting prejudices of his own, things really start to get interesting.  I'd give this to fans of paranormal novels looking for a humorous twist.

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Erica's Picks
8th grade
Tags: Fantasy, Friendship, Humor, People of Color, Romance, School Stories

Gunnerkrigg Court is unlike anything Antimony has seen before.  Strange things are always happening: like the time she discovered she had a second shadow and helped it to escape, or when she went to research Greek myths in the library and ended up finding the actual Minotaur.  Gunnerkrigg Court can be a dangerous place, but it was her mother's dying wish that she go there.  When she discovers that her parents met at this strange institution, Antimony becomes determined to get to the bottom of its many secrets.  Assuming she can survive the school year.

I loved hearing the Minotaur's side of the story: "See, when I was young, it was hard to meet people my own age, being stuck in the middle of a giant death maze and all."  The book is infused with this dry humor and often satirizes the magical boarding school genre.   My favorite character is the demon that ends up trapped in Antimony's stuffed animal and bound to her will.  Siddell plays on the inherent comedy of his situation like a virtuoso.  The ever-optimistic robot comes in a close second.  Then there's the shadow creature...so many great characters!  I'd give this to fans of fantasy and humor.  

Gunnerkrigg Court by Thomas Siddell

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
Tags: Comics, Fantasy, Humor, School Stories

Life on the railsea is not easy: bad tracks, traps laid by pirates, and attacks from below claim many lives.  But Sham is grateful for his job aboard the Medes.  He is finally seeing the world outside his home town.  Hunting giant moles can be exciting and people say that he should be proud to serve under a captain with her own Philosophy--an ivory colored creature she pursues with a passion and who has already taken her arm.  But while the captain's nemesis is certainly deadly, Sham soon discovers that secrets are the most dangerous quarry of all.

The world-building in this novel is wonderfully creative. Industries have cropped up around salvaging technology from the more prosperous past and pollution has seeped into the ground and created mutant creatures that thrive in the empty wastelands between cities.  In this world there are many captains like Ahab from Moby Dick and it's become a trend to have a 'philosophy,' a specific creature that has wronged a captain and which the captain has sworn to hunt until one or both of them dies. Mieville uses slang and dialect to help set the atmosphere and it’s fun to puzzle it out and unravel how it relates to the world.  I'd give this to science fiction fans looking for something with intricate world-building or those looking for a new take on Moby Dick.

Railsea by China Mieville

Erica's Picks
7th - 8th grade
Tags: Adventure, Dystopian, Retellings, Science Fiction

All Travis wanted was to survive the school year.  Not make friends or ace his classes--just survive.  The one thing he had learned was not to expect much from anyone.  His parents died long ago and his grandfather is barely there.  Even his dog disappeared.  He knew that his life would be awful and he had almost even accepted it.  But this year life would surprise Travis.  This year Travis's secrets will be revealed, and for good or for bad it will change his life forever.

The story switches between sparse but powerful chapters from Travis’s perspective and chapters from his Velveeta’s perspective with a lot of personality and flair. Their voices ring true as Schmatz touches on many compelling issues.   I'd give this to teens looking for a quick and touching read.

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Erica's Picks
6th- 8th grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, Issues Fiction, School Stories