Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker - Frank Cammuso

Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker - Frank Cammuso

The titular Edison, whose father disappeared under mysterious circumstances, accidentally discovers that his uncle is not an exterminator but a hunter of monsters, whose realm lies beyond the "night door."  When his sister's pet hamster goes through the door, Edison and his sister go looking for him.  With the help of a special flashlight and a pugnacious elf-type girl called Knox, they try to get the door's keystone away from the evil Baron Umbra.  With slapstick action and Calvin and Hobbes-style artwork, this is much more kid-oriented than the plot implies.  I really enjoyed the nasty collector and trader of things, Ma-Bob, and Baron Umbra's design is visually stunning as well.  A fun kids' story that proves there can be magic and thrills without the grim and gritty.  [4]

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest - Andi Watson

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest - Andi Watson

In this dreamlike fairy tale, Kerry, a young boy bringing medicine to his ailing parents, gets beguiled into entering a forest controlled by a malevolent spirit.  Creatures such as giant birds, living bushes, and a colony of aggressive brambles try to trap and harm him, but a one-eyed sentient rock pledges to him Kerry find his way home.  It's well written, with a good story and dialogue.  I was a little disappointed in the ending, which doesn't really add up.  It's very much a "pull tab here to defeat villain" kind of scenario.  But the rest of the story is well done, and as I noted, the book is basically a fairy tale anyway.  [4]

Turtle in Paradise - Jennifer Holm

Turtle in Paradise - Jennifer Holm

In 1935, young girl Turtle is sent (with her cat) to live with her cousins and aunt in Key West while her mother tries to make some money as a maid.  Turtle is very much out of her element, and her cousins, who have a baby-sitting enterprise called the Diaper Club, don't make her feel entirely welcome.  Still, she makes some interesting acquaintances, like a sponge fisherman who seems to be an old flame of her mother's, and her crotchety, mostly silent grandmother.  This is a terrific story, educational, fun, and at times even moving.  It's full of real-life details of 1930s Key West, from the conch and turtle fishing to the unusual ice cream flavors, the scorpions to the food to the hurricanes and buried treasure.  All these details of the kids' escapades, mostly unsupervised, really brought color and verisimilitude to the tale.  I wasn't a big fan of the art, which is fine but a bit blocky and uses anime shorthand instead of facial details.  [4]