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"World-famous" monsterologist Johan Olander takes a non-fiction approach to everyday monsters in A Field Guide to Monsters. Olander describes twenty eight monsters with their Latin Name, Habitat, Diet, Distinguishing Features, Life Cycle, and Safety Measures (you must take to avoid or defeat the monsters). Most terrifying category? Habitat. Most of Olander's monsters live right in your own habitat--the home.

Take, for example, the Leech-Eel (A.K.A. Toilet-Snake): "Leech-Eels live in plumbing fixtures and city sewers. They are often found in toilets." Olander's wonderfully detailed pencil-sketch illustrations add to the horror. The Leech-Eel looks like a cross between a Moray Eel, a Cookie Cutter shark, and a baby dragon without wings. What are the Leech-Eel's Distinguishing Features?

• "Since the Leech-Eel often slithers up the drains of toilets, it attacks humans 'where the sun don't shine' when they are sitting on the toilet seat, thus causing painful and embarrassing injuries. It hunts at night and grows up to 2 feet in length. It can weigh up to 4 pounds."

Scared to go into the bathroom? I know I am. Some of Olander's monsters are scary (the Brute, who lives inside you), while others are insanely cute (the Domestic Dust-Devil).* You'll never look at your home and garden the same way again.

A Field Guide to Monsters has great curb appeal, especially for those kids who like Non Fiction. My youngest (7), who is currently on a Egypt kick and carries around a hieroglyphic dictionary, took one look at A Field Guide to Monsters and said, "Hey, that looks like a good book." After reading A Field Guide to Monsters, he pronounced it "excellent" and "funny." I concur. A Field Guide to Monsters is not for the younger child who requests an under-the-bed or closet check before bedtime, because Olander's subjects include Bedwolf (who "consumes children, pets, and small animals" and can be found under the bed) and other realistic monsters who will scare the susceptible child. A Field Guide to Monsters is best suited for children ages six to eleven who will appreciate Olander's humor and may set off on monster hunts of their own.
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*Speaking of the Domestic Dust-Devil, let me just say that I wish s/he were my avatar. I'm in monster-love.
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Don't miss the Monsterwatch blog on which Olander shares kids' monster drawings.

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Hello all, yes once again it is I, the slightly schizophrenic Sith/Pirate/Ninja Bill!!!!!!!!

I am appalled that in a recent post here at our ever-so-friendly blog that my very character and nobility was attacked by a certain Melanie person:

"Just goes to show, you can't trust boys! Bill, Bill, Bill . . . I'm at a loss to understand how you can spell miscellaneous right and get scissors so very wrong. :) Hmmm, perhaps those short words are trickier for you than the long ones."

At first I found it impossible to believe that I the one, the only Sith/Pirate/Ninja Bill had misspelled any words at all (I'll have you know that at Sith School I always won the Spelling Bees). Well just to make sure, I went and checked with that Jedi sympathiser Carl to see if indeed anything had been misspelled (as loath as I am to admit it, he is a very good speller). He pulled out this huge book that I had never seen before which he said was called a dictionary. He said that it contained most of the correct spellings of words in the English Language. To my horror he opened up this huge tome of knowledge and confirmed what Melanie had said. I had indeed misspelled a word. Imagine my horror and dismay!!!!!!! Better yet, take a look at it:

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is this evil contained in this "Dictionary" that tells me I am wrong!!!!!!

I could not believe it to be the truth so then I went to confront the "sophisticated" Melanie to challenge here to a duel to reclaim my honor. What was the outcome, you ask? Well, let's just say that this massive tome that is called a "Dictionary" can be used for more than looking up words:

Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That hurts!!!!!!!!!! I beg of thee to stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, I had left my trusty lightsaber in my other pair of pants at home and had totally forgotten about my "Flashing Book Holders of Death" My wounds were most grevious, but I will return stronger and more unpleasent than ever!!!!!!!! This I swear!!!!!!

Well enough of this unpleasent incident, lets talk about books:

Tiger Moth: Kung Pow Chicken & The Pest Show on Earth both by Aaron Reynolds and Erik Lervold – Is there anybody still out there who is not familiar with the greatest insect super powered ninja fighting team of Tiger Moth (a moth, duh!!) and his apprentice Kung Pow (a pill bug; what the heck is a pill bug?)? If not, it’s time you do! The Tiger Moth graphic novel series is both great fun and hilarious to the max!!!! In “Kung Pow Chicken” Tiger Moth’s apprentice Kung Pow is left on his own to save his mentor from the villainy of Weevil. Will Tiger Moth be saved from insect eating spiders? Will Kung Pow prove that he is no chicken? Read this graphic novel to find out the answer to this and many other questions you have not even yet begun to form!!!!!! The next adventure entitled “The Pest Show on Earth” brings back Tiger Moth’s archenemy Weevil this time in the guise of a carnival employee that comes to town. Tiger Moth and loyal apprentice Kung Pow visit the carnival and spot the evil Weevil (that was fun--it rhymes; say it three times really fast) immediately. What can his evil plan be this go-round? Loyal readers, you must read this graphic novel to find out! Is the suspense killing you yet? Read and all will be answered. Remember, as Tiger Moth says: “When two birds fly, only one stone can be thrown.” Great wisdom are there in these words. Other Tiger Moth titles include: The Dung Beetle Bandits, Tiger Moth Insect Ninja, The Fortune Cookies of Weevil, and Tiger Moth and the Dragon Kite Contest. Many of these titles can also be downloaded onto your computer. All you have to do is go to the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Catolog and download away!!!!! This series rocks, so check it out now!!!!!!

X-Men Fairy Tales written C.B. Cebulski and illustrations by various – This is a really fun graphic novel that takes fairy tales from around the world and puts them with X-Men characters. You don’t have to be familiar with the X-Men to enjoy the stories, but if you are, it’s an extra kick. The fairy tales covered are: “The Peach Boy” inspired by the Japanese fairy tale “Momotaro;” “Faith in Friends” inspired by the African fairy tale “The Friendship of the Tortoise and the Eagle;” “Restless Souls” tapping some of the spooky traditions of New Orleans; and “To Die in Dreams” taken from some of the Brothers Grimm’s most exciting fairy tales. The stories are really good reads and the art just awesome. So if you are a fan of the X-Men or Fairy Tales or both, this graphic novel is well worth checking out and reading. Also the library system has another graphic novel along the same line “Spider-Man Fairy Tales” staring everyone’s favorite wall crawler along with characters associated with him. Really just great stuff!!!!!

Twisted Journeys: Captured by Pirates by Justine & Ron Fontes with illustrations by David Witt – Now I know everyone out there is probably familiar with the choose your adventures type books, if not, I’ll elaborate. These are the fun types of books where, based on what decisions you make, the books take different directions and different storylines. Well, combine this strictly text-based type of book with a graphic novel and you get the Twisted Journey experience. “Captured by Pirates” is too cool and what’s even better is there are other books in the series. Captain Bootstrap Bill gives these books a hardy Aaaarrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Bone: Ghost Circles by Jeff Smith – Well, the seventh volume in the Bone Graphic Novel Series has finally come out and it was well worth the wait. As the title to this volume intones, things get real scary and serious in this one. The villagers and Veni Yan Monks are really put to the test by the “Lord of the Locust’ and his armies. Everything goes crazy with a volcano eruption and the appearance of “Ghost Circles” everywhere. The Bone cousins (Phoney, Smiley and Fone Bone), Thorn, Gran’ma Ben, and the recently returned Bartleby are also being pursued by the forces of the “Lord of Locust” and just manage to stay one step ahead. But how long can their luck hold? What is a Ghost Circle? Who lives and who dies? Only one way to find out, read the book. You won't be disappointed.

Well, gotta go now guys. As always, peace,

Bill

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