monsters

Putting the Howl in Howl-day

Ethan Long Presents Fangsgiving by Ethan Long

November 8, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Ethan Long Presents Fangsgiving is another Ethan Long gem with our favorite monsters. This time the monsters of the Fright Club are having Thanking at Vlad’s placed. However, when Vlad’s family comes to join them, he is excited to see them, but boy do things get out of hand! However, the Fright Club and Vlad’s family learn what it means to be a family, about cooperation, having a good time and leaving Spike, the dog, outside during dinner time. Add this to your Fright Club collection. Or start a new tradition with celebrating holidays with the Fright Club. Valentines […]

11/8/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:417 |

When your teacher is a mummy everything is under wraps

Monster Academy by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple

October 17, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

The writing team of Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple have created numerous gems. Yet, Monster Academy is still in the coal stage. It greatly reminded me of the story Ghoul School by Kevin O’Malley. Had I read Monster Academy first, I would have probably preferred it, yet, I did not. So, if you like Ghoul School (previous reviewed here) you’ll like this (and the reverse is true too, of course). The premise is simple: a “naughty monster” (which of course, means that they are the best monster) comes to school. Their only word is NO! and their talent […]

10/17/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:388 |

The Coolest Ghoul in School

Ghoul School by Kevin O'Malley

October 1, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Ghoul School by Kevin O’Malley is one of those books where I am not “jumping up and down” screaming, “This is the best book EVER!” But it is one of those books where I will be recommending it to people. Mostly, this would be a great read for your library Halloween story time. Or the classroom read when you are at the end of the day (as it is not a Halloween story), or before the Holiday (because it can be a Halloween story), or before the sugar rush has kicked in…. The concept is obvious to the adult: The […]

10/1/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:367 |

Counting, naps and monsters. Oh my

One Little Monster by Mark Gonyea

September 8, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

One Little Monster does not stay one very long. In fact, wait long enough and you will count up to 10 monsters. Or is that last one a real monster? Mark Gonyea has created an abstracted story about how one child sees the monsters in the room start to multiple in some interesting, unique, clumsy and even stinky ways. Are these monsters real or a little boys imagination? Is this a child who should be taking a nap and is playing instead or did a monster really show up on his window? This book is a fun learning book as […]

9/8/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:339 |

Boogie your Wiggle and Wiggle your Boogie

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner

September 8, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

First, I am not a Laurie Berkner fan. Yet, Monster Boogie is a real treat. You do not need the music or a CD of Berkner signing or playing the music for you to enjoy it. As you read out loud you will fall into a natural rhythm of a song. You will love the bounciness to the words and will have fun. Therefore, this is not a before bedtime story. It would be great for a preschool classroom. The illustrations by Ben Clanton are a treat as well. They are simplistic, not realistic (but no question what everything and […]

9/8/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:338 |

Did someone order another budding chef story?

Brave Chef Brianna by Sam Sykes, Selina Espiritu, Sarah Stern

July 27, 2018 by CoffeeShopReader Leave a Comment

Here’s the basic premise of Brave Chef Brianna: a famous chef has become seriously ill, and he summons his 16 children, and tells them that whoever can start and run the most successful restaurant within a year will inherit his cooking empire (restaurants, tv, etc). His youngest child and only daughter is Brianna. She worries that she has less of a chance because her older brothers have all been working in the industry for years, while she’s fresh out of culinary school. The only place she can afford to start is Monster City, which happens to be, yes that’s right, […]

7/27/2018 CoffeeShopReader's CBR10 Review No:45 |

I am Sorry to Inform You…… I Just Ate My Friend

I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

June 27, 2018 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

Maybe I missed the point. Is it a book about karma? I am not sure. With that said, it really is not something I will be recommending. There is nothing redeeming about this book. I would not put my reputation on the line for this book. If you like it, please tell me why. With most books I do not like, I really do feel bad about it. I understand the hard work that authors and illustrators put into their work. I am a writer (or pretend to be) and there really is nothing as bad as when your work […]

6/27/2018 BlackRaven's CBR10 Review No:226 |

Paranormal fantasy that should appeal to Supernatural fans

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

April 15, 2018 by Malin 5 Comments

From Goodreads, because I’m really far behind on my reviews, and it’s a good summary of the book: Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night…the Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity – and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she’d rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren’t for the […]

4/15/2018 Malin's CBR10 Review No:29 |

MsWas on It’s not you… it’s me.This is a great review - excellent job of laying out the good and bad in the novel and showing who this book is for,...
GetoffmyLawnn on An Effervescent RomanceI am so HERE for this, for all the reasons you listed and that I need to read a good romantic kissing book, I feel...
Orleanas on Right there with yaOf the three Rowell books I've read(ATTACHMENTS, ELEANOR & PARK, and FANGIRL), FANGIRL is definitely my least favorite. I thought it dragged and Cath was...
Orleanas on It’s official: I ain’t got no coothIt's always interesting to hear/read someone else's perspective on a book that you, yourself, absolutely love. I read FRANKENSTEIN a few years ago for the...
liz on “But Ma used to say, not everyone circles the same sun. I never knew what she meant by that until Monday went missing.”I agree,I think Allegedly was much more of a gut-punch