Book Review: Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria by J. M. Bergen

Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria
by
J. M. Bergen

Publisher: Elandrian Press

Publication date: 20th May 2020

Series: The Elandrian Chronicles #2

Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy

Pages: 408

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of Book Publicity Services

A boy discovering his destiny. An ancient object of unspeakable power. An impenetrable web of deception.

It's been three months since Thomas and his friends faced off against the enigmatic Arius Strong in an epic fight for the future of humanity. They thought the battle was over. It was only just beginning.

Now, with a mysterious message from an unknown hacker, the action starts again. This time an ancient talisman with legendary powers is at stake, and Arius will stop at nothing to make it his own. Dark witches and wizards are rallying to his cause, and behind it all, a mysterious figure with inexplicable abilities. The forces of light are gathering as well, but the web of deception is thick. Will Thomas and his friends see through the lies in time to stop the forces of evil and prevent a catastrophe of historic proportions?

In book two of The Elandrian Chronicles J. M. Bergen has delivered another edge of your seat story featuring Thomas Wildus and his friends, Enrique and Akhil. I enjoyed this book even more than the first one!

The boys are now 14 and there is a brief introduction of girlfriends and movie dates before they are called away during school’s summer break to once again find a magic-imbued ancient artefact before it falls into the wrong hands.

The three boys all have their own unique qualities. Whilst Thomas is hesitant and thinks before acting, Enrique is snarky ans quick to act. Akhil will be coming along on this mission where his outstanding computer skills will be of great value.

The magic is stepped up in this book, both in the boys training and in battles with sinister elements. The chapters are short and the plot is easily followed. I became captivated as the story moved along at a steady pace.

No-one is who they seem to be and as the boys and their mentors plan to find the magical staff help will come from an unlikely source.

A new, powerful and evasive enemy is lurking. Someone more sinister than any enemy they have encountered before.

Triumph doesn’t come easily and Bergen includes themes of team work, friendship and perseverance.

There are a few mentions of people and events from the first book and to get the full benefit from book two I would suggest reading book one first.

This book includes moderate violence and awesome magic scenes.

Ages 8+

 My rating 5/5          ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit: Goodreads

J.M.’s debut fantasy/magic series originally started as a bedtime story for his oldest son. The story turned into a saga, and one book turned into five. The first book in the series, Thomas Wildus and TheBook of Sorrows, is scheduled for release in February 2019.

When J.M. isn’t working on the Thomas Wildus books, you can find him playing with his kids, napping, or dreaming up new adventures. If you ever meet him and can’t think of anything to talk about, you might ask about Herman the Shark, the Kai and Eli stories, or why Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillip is his all-time favorite book. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll have questions and stories of your own (if you do, he’ll think that’s far more interesting).

Book Review & Giveaway: The Coconut Rebellion by Mark Stary

The Coconut Rebellion

by

Mark Stary

BUCKLE UP ME HEARTIES.......

FOR THE COCONUT REBELLION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! 

 

Publisher: Rushcutter Press
Publication date: 3rd April 2018
Genre: Middle Grade
Pages: 229
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the author

The lagoon at Sea Devil Island is an idealistic place for a colony of fish to live and raise a family … peaceful and quiet. A little too quiet for young Jack Herron, who yearns to explore the world beyond his lagoon. But it is forbidden for junior fish to venture outside the lagoon. So when Jack stumbles across a secret passage to the outside world, he sneaks out and leads his three closest friends on an adventure of discovery. Unfortunately, they discover more than they bargain for.
Cursed to live on an island for a crime they did not commit, the fish of Sea Devil Lagoon must set  forth from their island prison and find the evidence to prove their innocence.
But this will not be easy! Standing in their way is a devious squid intent on world domination and the evil Scourge Stingrays. 

The Coconut Rebellion is a wonderfully immersive Middle Grade story for lovers of animated ocean stories like Finding Nemo and Shark Tale.

We are first introduced to Marty the albatross and Hamish the seagull. Hamish takes Marty to see Sea Devil Island which is a dangerous no-go zone for birds. When Marty ignores the warnings, excited about the amount of fish he can see, he swoops down and is attacked by “warrior fish” and injured.

Hamish helps Marty to the safety of nearby Blue Island and calls on the wise old green sea turtle, Gonzo. Gonzo then proceeds to tell Marty the legend of Sea Devil Island and how the fish came to walk on land.

I loved this story! It features plenty of danger, humour, friendship, squidnapping, battles and a curse that forces the fish onto land. There is never a dull moment in this tale of four young fish who save their colony from a deadly curse. It is a story that will certainly keep a young reader entertained.

This story screams big screen adaptation!

Recommended 9+ 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit: Goodreads

 

Mark Stary lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains of NSW Australia with his wife and two children.
When he is not making up stories to enchant his kids, he can be found cursing over a Victa lawnmower that refuses to start most weekends.
A decade of story-telling to neighbourhood children has yielded many tall tales, The Coconut Rebellion being the first in print.

But by no means the last....

The author has generously offered a paperback giveaway to one of my readers. Entry is via the form below. Entry is open to Australian addresses only and close at midnight on 24th May 2020.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was ........ TRACEY.

Book Review: Esme's Gift by Elizabeth Foster

Esme's Gift

by

Elizabeth Foster

Publisher: Odyssey Books
Publication date: 30th November 2019
Series: Esme #2
Genre: Middle Grade / Young Adult
Pages: 266
Format read:  Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the author

In the enchanted world of Aeolia, fifteen-year-old Esme Silver is faced with her hardest task yet. She must master her unruly Gift – the power to observe the past – and uncover the secrets she needs to save her mother, Ariane.

In between attending school in the beguiling canal city of Esperance, Esme and her friends – old and new – travel far and wide across Aeolia, gathering the ingredients for a potent magical elixir.

Their journey takes them to volcanic isles, sunken ruins and snowy eyries, spectacular places fraught with danger, where they must confront their deepest fears and find hope in the darkest of places. Esme’s Gift, the second instalment in the Esme trilogy, is an enthralling fantasy adventure for readers 12 years and over.

Esme’s Gift carries straight on from Esme’s Wish. Esme returns home to try and convince her father to return to Aeolia with her. Fearing for her mental health he makes an appointment with a psychiatrist. Esme flees to Aeolia in a last bid effort to save her mother.

I really enjoyed Esme’s Wish and the second book in the trilogy didn’t disappoint.

Esme joins again with friends, Lillian and Daniel, on a dangerous quest to find the rare ingredients for an elixir to save her mother’s life. There are people that do not want Esme to complete her quest and she must decide who she can and cannot trust.

The city of Esperance, with it’s magic now returned, is preparing for a mayoral election. The magic gifts bestowed upon the citizens were imaginative and unique. There was also plenty of humour as the school students were learning to control their gifts.

The story has plenty of action and danger with splashes of humour interspersed throughout. As well as magic a slight paranormal element is introduced into the story.

The city of Esperance is well developed and exquisitely described.

Esme’s gift is another enthralling installment in the Esme series and I’m hoping for more inclusion of the dragons in the next book.

Age level 12+
Mild violence

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  5/5

 

 Elizabeth Foster read avidly as a child, but only discovered the joys of writing some years ago, when reading to her own kids reminded her of how much she missed getting lost in other worlds. Once she started writing, she never looked back. She’s at her happiest when immersed in stories, plotting new conflicts and adventures for her characters. Elizabeth lives in Sydney, where she can be found scribbling in cafés, indulging her love of both words and coffee.

Click on the book cover to read my review

 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

and the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

Book Review: The Order of Time by Scott P Southall

The Order of Time

by

Scott P Southall

"If you're into secret societies, time-travel, dangerous artifacts, deadly assassins, evil priests, and vengeful gods then I've got a story for you..." 

Publisher: Seaview Press Holdings
Publication date: 21st January 2020
Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy
Pages: 274
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity 

Anastasia and Edward Upton are eleven years old twins who are different in almost every way. Despite this they are inseparable and the best of friends. They tackle the highs and lows of sixth grade together whether they are fending off bullies at the elite Blake Academy or examining rare antiquities as the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Then: life gets complicated.

They discover that their friend and mentor, Dr. Gregorian, is part of a secret society called the Order of Time. It turns out that time is not fixed, it's a fluid continuum where changes to the past can create ripples all the way through to the present. It unwittingly falls to the twins to travel back through time to ancient Egypt where they must overcome deadly assassins, evil high priests and vengeful gods in order to prevent disaster. Together Anastasia and Edward must navigate all obstacles to preserve the past and find their way back home.

 

The Order of Time is an action packed time travel adventure featuring 12 yo twins Anastasia and Edward and how their fascination and visits to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History lands them in the centre of a deadly plot to alter the past.

Southall has created two strikingly different protagonists. Anastasia is Maths and Science smart and athletic. A master of Martial Arts. She likes to stick to the rules. Edward is a bit of a rebel his interests lean towards History and Art. Where Edward backs down Anastasia takes the bullies full on quite often protecting her brother. Rather than feel jealous, Edward admires his sister’s athletic abilities. It was well portrayed how the two compliment each other, each using their different strengths to solve problems.

Although not entirely unique Southall uses the tried and true formula of power inducing crystals and magic portals in this time travel fantasy.

There was action aplenty as the children travel back in time to Ancient Egypt and plunge themselves into the local culture, conversing with Nefertiti and Akhenaten.

I was engrossed by the Ancient History and Mythology aspects of the story. Southall introduces ideas on problem solving and small facts relating to Science and History. A couple of political digs may go over the Middle Grade reader’s head but, if they are open to it, it’s a good starter for a political conversation.

The concept of time travel through the combination of portals and crystals and how changes to the past have a rolling effect on their present was well portrayed and easy to understand.

The Order of Time is a fabulous debut. Totally captivating!

10+ some content on mythology includes the demon of the afterlife.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My rating   5/5

Photo credit: Goodreads

Scott Southall is an American author and banking executive. He grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. playing sports,exploring the woods behind his house, and stretching his imagination by reading any book he could get his hands on.
He attended Georgetown University where he earned a degree in business.
Scott spent the first fifteen years of his career as a management consultant working with Fortune 500 companies around the world. In 2006 he changed careers and became a banker. While he loves to bank, telling stories is his true passion. The Order of Time is his debut novel.
Scott and his Australian wife Kylie live with their family in the paradise which is also known as Sydney, Australia. 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

  #AussieAuthor20    #AusBookBloggers 

 

Book Review: Être: Girls, Who Do You Want to Be? by Illana Raia

Être: Girls, Who Do You Want to Be?

by

Illana Raia

Wise Words for World-Changing Girls

Publisher: Être Press 

Publication date: 11th October 2019
Genre: Middle Grade / Young Adult Non Fiction
Pages: 204
RRP: $22.95USD (approx $34AUD)
Format: large format paperback
Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity

Être means "to be." And girls, middle school is not too young to ask yourself this all-important question: Who do YOU want to be? Think of this book as a smart big sister in your backpack, encouraging you to stick with what you love and helping you springboard your authentic interests into more.
SO . . . WHAT IS ÊTRE? A bold, full color magazine-style collection of articles breaking down big ideas like financial confidence, mentorship, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship for today’s motivated girls. Organized by topic (#BeSmart, #BeWi$e, #BeInnovative), and featuring Insta-inspired graphics, Être offers wise words to world-changing girls . . . at exactly the right time.
WHO’S IN IT? Get ready for empowering quotes and interviews from luminary women alongside input from inspiring girls across the country.
WHO’S IT FOR? Middle and high school girls everywhere . . . and the moms, big sisters, and cool aunts reading over their shoulders.

 

It all starts with the Middle Grade girl aged 8 – 12. These girls are smart thinkers they want to know what’s happening beyond the latest Tiktok and Instagram sensation.

These girls won’t be following the latest trends they will be making them.

This book is for you!

Set out in ten different chapters, each with it’s own motivational hashtag. #BeSmart #BeInnovative #BeWi$e #BeConnected #BeStrong #BeInformed #BeCharitable #BeBrave #BeHappy #BeWellRead.

Etre is a resource and mentorship platform for girls which first started as an online resource and Illana Raia has now put all these ideas into a book that can be referred to time and time again as girls come across different challenges or feel that need for motivation in different areas during their growing years.

This book not only teaches girls to be smart outspoken and well informed but to also offer to help others by being a mentor. Be a role model to younger girls.

Filled with motivational quotes, questions and answers from women who have made a difference and interviews with girls just like the targeted reader. The Être board is made up of young women, teens and pre-teens (aged 10 – 18) who know how the pre-teen mind works.

It teaches girls not to be all out competitive but form a group, work together, study together, help each other out.

‘Build each other up, instead of tearing each other down’

This is an inspiring book for girls wondering if they are too young to make a difference.

I’m not generally into motivational books but this book has changed my opinion and I would recommend this for all girls aged 8 – 18. This is not a book to be read in one sitting but opened at the appropriate chapter for the time. An election coming up or major news event; read #BeInformed. It’s the start of the sports season; read #BeStrong.

The book concludes with a list of instagramers you really should be following, appropriate E-resources and a list of websites to dig deeper into each chapter.

I was blown away by this book. Highly recommended!

  

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 My rating  5/5

Illana is a former Skadden, Arps lawyer, an occasional guest lecturer at Columbia University, and the founder of Être - a mentorship platform for motivated girls.

Illana has contributed to the Huffington Post, Medium, Ellevate and Thrive Global since Être's launch in 2016, breaking down timely topics for the younger set, and was named a Mogul Influencer in 2017. She was featured in The Balance Project Interviews in 2018 and the #WomenWhoRock photo campaign in 2019 and has been a recent guest on podcasts and radio; Illana's journey from attorney to founder was also profiled in Forbes.

Illana graduated with honors from Smith College and received her JD from the University of Chicago, where she was managing editor of the Legal Forum. She lives happily in NYC and at the Jersey Shore with her husband and two children, and is unapologetically nerdy.

This review is part of the Non Fiction Reader Challenge #2020ReadNonFic

 

Book Review: Blurred Vision by Steve Harrison

Blurred Vision

by

Steve Harrison

Publisher: Elsewhen Press
Publication date: 18th November 2019
Genre: Middle Grade Science Fiction
Pages: 236
RRP: $20AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the author

When Polly Hart agrees to swap places with a girl from another planet, she has no idea that this makes her a fugitive in the fabulous universe revealed by her new friend, and now she must outwit the school bully, a weird teacher and an interstellar hit squad to survive. So annoying!

First contact?

“Take it easy,” said Kylie, still with a hint of amusement. “You’re perfectly safe. Think of me as a tourist.”
Polly squinted back at her. She couldn’t help herself. “Are you invading earth?”

“Are you kidding? Do you know how much that would cost?”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“We found you after you activated the camera on the satellite and were impressed by the other stuff you did to hide your tracks. Easy for us, but we all thought it was very cool. For an Earth human, anyway.”

“You don’t talk like an alien.”

“How many do you know?” asked Kylie. Polly couldn’t argue with that. “Good point.”

Harrison has written a humorous story with aliens both good and bad. We are conveyed to a world of space travel where a girl is the heroine of the story, surviving dire circumstances and doing it with a sense of adventure.

Through Polly he gives his readers a protagonist who is smart and adventurous. She can hack top NASA files and doesn’t baulk at danger if it includes an adventure.

When a portal opens outside Polly’s house she comes face to face with teen alien Kylie. They agree to swap places so Kylie can experience life in an Earth school. Polly is taken to Kylie’s spaceship.

The overseers of Earth, the Hywardathians, find out Kylie is on Earth. She has crossed a line and must be stopped. They are out to capture here at all cost which also puts Polly in danger. Polly must now try to save Kylie and switch back before it’s too late for them both.

I loved the concept of this “freaky Friday” style story and I enjoyed Kylie’s shenanigans at Polly’s school. However I kept getting pulled away from the story with large amounts of world building, or in this case universe building, through extracts from Vryl’s Galmanac a sort of Wikipedia of space.

I really wanted more of Kylie’s interactions with Penny’s school friends and to see more of Kylie’s world other than the spaceship they were stuck on.

Written in an easy style with a sense of fun and adventure Blurred Vision is well suited to the older end of Middle Grade 11 – 13 years.

Contains mild swearing.

🌟🌟🌟

My rating     3/5

I absolutely enjoyed Steve Harrison's first adult novel Time Storm.

Steve Harrison was born in Yorkshire, England, grew up in Lancashire, migrated to New Zealand and eventually settled in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife.

As he juggled careers in shipping, insurance, online gardening and the postal service, Steve wrote short stories, sports articles and a long running newspaper humour column called HARRISCOPE: a mix of ancient wisdom and modern nonsense. In recent years he has written a number of unproduced feature screenplays, although being unproduced was not the intention, and developed projects with producers in the US and UK. His script, Sox, was nominated for an Australian Writers’ Guild ‘Awgie’ Award and he has written and produced three short films under his Pronunciation Fillums partnership.

His novel TimeStorm was Highly Commended in the Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) National Literary Awards for 2013, Jim Hamilton Award in the fantasy/science fiction category, for an unpublished novel of sustained quality and distinction by an Australian author.

This review is part of the  Booklover Book Review Aussie author challenge  

 

 
 

Book Review: The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths & The Quest Diaries of Max Crack by Jules Faber

Now that Christmas is firmly behind us and the new toys have all been played with parents and children are faced with a long school holiday period to fill.

What is better than books to keep your children occupied and amused. 

Children have the wonderful capacity to read the same book over and over and not be bored with it. Knowing what is going to happen in the story seems to enhance their reading experience, not hinder it. I'm sure you can remember a book you read a gazillion times as a child. 

Today I have two hilarious books that will keep children occupied for hours.

The Treehouse Joke Book

by Andy Griffiths

Illustrated by Terry Denton 

Publisher:Pan Macmillan Australia 
Publication date: 24th September 2019
Imprint: Pan Australia
Genre: Children's / Junior Fiction
Pages: 304
RRP: $12.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Andy and Terry live in the world's craziest treehouse. They like making books and telling jokes. And now they've made the world's funniest jokebook!

From bears to birds, penguins to pirates and skeletons to space, there are gags galore. Perfect for fans of the Treehouse series!

The Treehouse Joke Book from the best selling authors of the Treehouse Series has 293 pages of rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud jokes. There are bear jokes, dinosaur jokes, music jokes, pirate jokes, space jokes and many more in the 26 different categories of jokes.

Q: What kind of ant is good at maths?
A: An account-ant

Q: Where do books sleep?
A: Between their covers.

Q: Why did the girl tiptoe past the medicine cabinet?
A: She didn't want to wake the sleeping pills.

There are hundreds more! A wonderful book to share with a child, Well, they will need to try the jokes on someone!

The children I shared the book with loved the jokes and thought the book was funny. 

🌟🌟🌟🌟

My rating   4/5

 

Photo credit: Macmillan Aus

Andy Griffiths is one of Australia's most popular children's authors. He and illustrator Terry Denton have collaborated on more than 30 bestselling books since their first title, Just Tricking, was published in 1997.

In Australia Andy and Terry's books have sold over 10 million copies, won 80 children's choice awards and 10 Australian Book Industry Awards-including Book of the Year for The 52-Storey Treehouse in 2015. 

Andy is a passionate advocate for literacy and in 2015 was awarded the Dromkeen Medal to honour his outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature. He is also an ambassador for both The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Pyjama Foundation.
 

About the Illustrator

Photo credit: Macmillan Aus

Terry Denton is a writer and illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. His work is mainly humour-based cartoon style.


Terry Denton has illustrated bestsellers such as the JUST! series and the Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths. He has three children and is the owner of a back garden burial ground for dead pets. 

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge 

The Quest Diaries of Max Crack 

by

Jules Faber

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 27th August 2019

Imprint: Pan Australia

Genre: Children's / Junior Fiction

Pages: 204

RRP: $12.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Hi everyone! I'm Max Crack and this awesome book is all about me and my quests and my best friend Frankie!
Buried treasure, new school, doodles, peanut butter and honey toast, best friends, horrible blobs, mysteries, Meddlyslop, spelling bees (hard words, harder words), more doodles, comics, World War Undies ... this book has it ALL. 

Written in diary form we follow Max as he traverses the minefield that is the New Kid in town.

It's Max's first day in Piddown and Max makes a list of things he wants to achieve - his quest.

1. Make a best friend

2. Explore the new town

3. Win a trophy

4. Solve a mystery

5. Get my picture in the paper

On his first day out he meets Frankie and they quickly become firm friends. Max is an only child and Frankie is one of eight. Through Frankie, Max learns about sharing and the ups and downs of friendship and that it involves give and take. Together they compete in the spelling bee, earn some pocket money and solve a mystery.

The Quest Diaries is a story with lots of humour. Not only told in the written word but also very visual with different fonts, funny drawings and etchings. Some of the story is told in comic form. There are lots of fart jokes, gross stuff and embarrassing moments. All the things kids love to read and laugh about.

There are blank pages at the end of the book to write your own quest list and sketch a picture or two.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 

My rating  4/5

Jules Faber is a cartoonist and illustrator, most well-known for illustrating the WeirDo series by comedian Anh Do, for which they've won multiple awards, including Book of the Year for Older Children at the Australian Book Industry Awards.
He's also illustrated David Warner's 'Kaboom Kid' series, Michael Pryor's 'Leo Da Vinci' series, Alex Ratt's Stinky Street Stories and some of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki's science books.
When he's not illustrating books, Jules loves reading books and graphic novels, and collecting comics. He has served four, two-year terms as the President of the Australian Cartoonists Association and is a Member of the CBCA NSW Committee.



This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge

 

 

Spotlight & Giveaway - The Monster Catchers by George Brewington

The Monster Catchers

by 

George Brewington

The Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story

By George Brewington

A Father-Son Monster Hunter Duo Must Save California From An Evil Villain…

THE FRESH, DYNAMIC, NOT-TO-BE-MISSED MG FANTASY DEBUT

"A fast-paced, action-packed adventure with an interesting premise" ―Booklist on The Monster Catchers

"The monsters are appealing, the parallels between monster and human history are discussable, and the end is wildly unsubtle but still gratifying, allowing Bailey to look forward to a more tolerant and altruistic exploration of the world of monsters." ―The Bulletin on The Monster Catchers

            If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Buckleby and Son!

When we think of monster catchers or even ghost busters, we don’t often think of a father-son duo saving California from goblins, seas monsters, fairies and trolls.

Behind a purple curtain in the back of a little store of eccentricities, trinkets and souvenirs lies a series of adventures. In this middle-grade fantasy debut, The Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story by George Brewington [MacMillan, 2019], Bailey Buckleby and his dad Dougie can rid your home of whatever monster is troubling you—for the right price. Dougie offers Bailey a unique education in the lessons of monster catching and the importance of these creatures to their history. But when Bailey discovers that his dad has been lying—their pet troll Henry is actually a kidnapped baby sea giant—he begins to question the family business. Then, when a criminal mastermind puts everyone and everything Bailey loves in peril, it’s up to him to save his family and set things right.

            In The Monster Catchers, Brewington weaves in lessons of friendship and morality with fun and quirky storylines to keep readers on their toes with cliffhangers at the end of each fast-paced chapter. Although a story about a boy who fights monsters with a Frisbee, Brewington dives into Bailey’s journey discovering who and what he believes in to ultimately find his true identity.

“I want my readers to love the characters and find them funny, but also discover that every monster and human has their own perspective,” says Brewington. “Monsters - or humans - shouldn’t immediately be assumed to be evil because they are different than us.”

The Monster Catchers is the best kind of middle-grade faery tale — it encourages readers to enjoy the story, and yet think beyond its pages. Fans of Dianna Wynne Jones, Douglas Adams and Lemony Snicket will gravitate toward this series, and will be so glad that they discovered George Brewington, a debut author we’ll certainly be hearing more from. 

 

About the author

George Brewington writes fantasy stories for both children and adults four days a week. The other three days a week he is a respiratory therapist at a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. His short stories have been included in anthologies like Dark Magic: Witches, Hackers & Robots and Pick Your Poison. His first novel for young readers – The Monster Catchers - debuted on March 9th, 2019. The sequel – The Revenge of the Whiffles - arrives on July 14th, 2020. He is also working on a mysterious third novel, which is so secret and so strange and so scary, details cannot be revealed at this time. He lives in the marshes of Folly Beach, South Carolina with his family, surrounded on all sides by egrets, owls, alligators, and boo hags.

 

Giveaway:

I have one eCopy of The Monster Catchers to giveaway courtesy of Smith Publicity (open internationally)

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was - Renee