Skip to main content

A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting

Image
By


A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting 
By Joe Ballarini
Katherine Tegen Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. 338 p.

Alright, who knows kids that like reading books about monsters that are pretty creepy? You know, the kind that likes Goosebumps or Mary Downing Hahn books. Well, this is another book for those readers who love the spooky feeling that comes every October when the world thinks of ghosts and goblins and all things Halloween. The only thing is this book also might appeal to kids who like the Babysitters Club and books about kids who have to figure out relationships of friends and potential boys they like. This is a mix of those two worlds. And it was pretty fun to read.

Kelly wants to save money so she can go to a fancy summer camp. So she starts babysitting. On Halloween. And she loses the kid to a monster. Yup, her life is totally not going the way she planned. Kelly soon learns that there are babysitters and then there are babysitters who are more like warriors who save the world from monsters. The kind of monsters that come out from under the bed or from darkened closets and live off of the screams of little children. And Kelly also realizes that she can do more than she thinks she can (just wait until the climax when she has to outmaneuver the main monster with a less-than-ideal weapon). Yeah, give this to the kids who like being scared. And who want a little character/relationship development to go along with their monsters and action.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Painting for Peace in Ferguson

By
Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.
Post a Comment
Read more

Dragon Run

By
Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013.  336 pgs.  Fantasy      Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life.  He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines.  Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...
1 comment
Read more

Review: Growing Home

By
Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship.  This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...
Post a Comment
Read more