Invasion of the Scorp-lions

by Bruce Hale

Overview

Something is very wrong at Monterrosa Elementary — again. Weird noises and funky smells are coming through the classroom vents. Could the school be haunted? When one of their classmates falls into a coma, best friends Carlos and Benny know it's time to call in the best monster hunters they know: each other. This may well be their wackiest extermination challenge yet! In his third Monstertown Mystery, Bruce Hale delivers another silly, strange, and spooky tale for readers who like their chills with a side of chuckles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484713235
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/31/2017
Series:	Monstertown Mysteries , #3
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bruce Hale (www.brucehale.com) is passionate about inspiring reluctant readers to read. He has written or illustrated more than thirty-five seriously funny books for children, including two other Monstertown Mysteries, the popular Chet Gecko Mysteries series, and the Clark the Shark picture bookseries.

An actor and a Fulbright Scholar in Storytelling, Bruce is in demand as a speaker, having presented at conferences, universities, and schools across North America and internationally. His acting resume includes regional commercials, theater, and an independent film, "The Ride". Bruce's book The Malted Falcon was an Edgar Award Finalist. Murder, My Tweet won the Little D Award for Humor Writing. He lives in Santa Barbara, California with his wife, Janette, and his sweet mutt, Riley.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR CURSE OF THE WERE-HYENA

"A series kickoff with a promising mix of chills and chortles."— Kirkus

PRAISE FOR CURSE OF THE WERE-HYENA

"This title will appeal to reluctant readers as well as students looking for something light and not too scary."— School Library Journal

PRAISE FOR CURSE OF THE WERE-HYENA

"An adventurous romp through the supernatural. . . . the characters . . . are eccentric and particularly diverse."— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

PRAISE FOR CURSE OF THE WERE-HYENA

"Give this to fans of Goosebumps."— SLC

From the Publisher

2017-08-27
Fourth-grade monster hunters Carlos and Benny face their greatest, or at least smelliest, challenge yet.What with "funky wet-cat-with-gas" odors coming out of the ventilators and a rash of students and faculty raving scarily before falling into comas, Monterrosa Elementary is on the verge of being shut down. Previous experiences with cannibalistic lunch ladies and other supernatural hazards have left Latino narrator Carlos and his white best friend, Benny, poised to deal with the ghosts or whatever else is plaguing the school…but the dog-sized, lion-headed stinging scorpions they find lurking in the mechanical room turn out to be only the beginning of their problems. Hale adds new student Esme Ygorre (white and a descendant of a renowned monster expert who spelled his name slightly differently) to the already notably diverse cast, livens up the narrative with one-liners and vivid similes ("Her face went as grim as an all-kale buffet"), and ups the stakes considerably with an entire army of chimerical horrors created by (natch) a billionaire villain. A spritz of cola and a little—OK, a lot of—catnip finally bring down scorp-lions and villain alike, but more monsters on the loose promise further sequels. A lenticular cover image adds melodrama to the light assortment of droll pen-and-ink drawings inside. More side-splitting, nose-holding heroics…in the face of a still-rising tide of monsters. (Horror. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews