THE MONSTROUS MEMOIRS OF A MIGHTY MCFEARLESS

In an immediate attention-grabber, Minerva and Max McFearless’s dangerous adventure begins in medias res, with the pair of young monster hunters hanging in a cage over a pit of fiery molten lava. Eleven-year-old Minerva explains how they got into the perilous situation: The children have come to rescue their monster-hunting father from the vicious monster king, the Zarmaglorg. Along the way, they defeat the Greblor, the Howleewoof and other monstrous enemies, while assisted by a talking one-eyed coyote and Ms. Monstranomicon, a living encyclopedia with a poisonous bite. Their story is illustrated with ghoulishly fun pages from Ms. Monstranomicon, describing monsters and the recipes required to defeat them (rather disgusting recipes that can be assembled in even non-monster-fighting kitchens by a dedicated reader). Though Max and Minerva’s quest to save their father runs through pedestrian prose and some overly cheap jokes (such as Castle Doominstinkinfart), the lighthearted gross-out humor, lavishly illustrated with photographs and childlike drawings, will provide plenty of silly entertainment. (Fantasy. 8-10)