Things that Go Bump in the Day

by Melinda Beatty Illustrated by Charlene Chua 3.5 stars A sweet little story about an adorable vampire child trying to get some sleep and his ever-reassuring mother explaining away the sounds in the day. A cute bedtime story full of humor. Nicely written. I really enjoyed the spin on what noises would be scary to…

Read More

Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter (Ham Helsing #1) by Rich Moyer

2 stars Ham Helsing comes from a long line of daring vampire hunters. After his older brother dies in a tragic wingsuit accident, he takes up the family mantle and sets out to defeat a vampire. Along the way, he encounters a ninja pig, a were-boy, a robot knight, and many more interesting characters. Figure…

Read More

Day of the Living Liv (Spirited #1) by Liv Livingston

Illustrated by Anna Volcan 2 stars Some dynamics of school stay the same no matter where you are. Feeling like an outsider, getting used to new teachers, and the quandary of where to sit in the cafeteria. These are true even if your school is attended by ghosts, werewolves, and vampires. This is a pretty…

Read More

Creepy Cat Vol 4 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars A sweet ending to a great series. After their last big adventure, Flora and Creepy Cat settle back into their familiar routines. But when Creepy Cat and the other supernatural cats suddenly go missing, the humans who love them set out to solve the case. Truths are…

Read More

Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi

Illustrated by Carolina Godina 4 stars Delightfully creepy and well written. Nice variety of story structures including poetry, short stories, an epistolary, a play, chat fiction told through text messages, metafiction, and even stream of consciousness from a family dog. In terms of kid’s horror, I think this one hits the mark well for middle…

Read More

Hellaween by Moss Lawton

2.5 stars An interesting start to a series. This has a good start to a story, but for some reason, it was hard for me to get into. I was definitely intrigued by the monster realm, Gwen’s experience as an amateur witch, and her supernatural friends from another world. Some fun humor. The story was…

Read More

Creepy Cat Vol 3 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars I am loving how this series is building. This one works in a continuous story, featuring a mysterious art enthusiast, a new creepy cat friend, and a bit of relucent teamwork between Oscar and Creepy. Love how all the characters came together in this one. And we…

Read More

Creepy Cat Vol 2 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars Another fun Creepy Cat collection. This one follows much of the same slice-of-life style as the first, while slipping in a few more details about Creepy Cat and hinting that there’s more to Flora and Oscar’s past. Fun to meet some of Flora’s friends and see all…

Read More

Creepy Cat Vol 1 by Cotton Valent

Translated by Alethea & Athena Nibley 4 stars When Flora moves into a mansion, she discovers it comes with a strange, white cat who is… a little creepy. She stumbles her way though many of the milestones of cat ownership with a paranormal twist as she settles into her new home. A humorous story of…

Read More

I Love My Magic! by Kelly Leigh Miller

4 stars Short and sweet. Willow loves using magic. But sometimes she uses it too much. When her wand is confiscated, Willow has to do things a different way… and it’s maybe not as bad as it first seemed. Cute messages about seeing the world in different ways and using your talents for good, not…

Read More