The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless

From School Library Journal Grade 4-6–When 11-year-old Minerva McFearless and her younger brother, Max, discover that they are the latest generation in a family of monster-hunters, their widowed father forbids them to learn anything about his dangerous occupation. Nonetheless, the siblings soon come upon Ms. Monstranomicon, a monster-hunter's manual that is a monster herself, and find themselves pursued by the minions of the vile Zarmaglorg, king of the monsters, who kidnaps their father. Zappa has written a passable first novel whose roots aren't hard to see–Ms. Monstranomicon bears strong similarities to one of Harry Potter's textbooks, for example. But the sardonic back-and-forth between Minerva, Max, and their know-it-all guide, Mr. Devilstone, is amusing, as are the photo-illustrations and the nature guide pages describing the disgusting creatures that they encounter and the often-disgusting formulas that the monster-hunter employs to defend against them. The protagonists are engaging, but the plot is fuzzy and the villains are stock. Still, children will enjoy the story, which ends, unsurprisingly, with the promise of a sequel.