Two intrepid librarians

Two intrepid librarians review the best nonfiction books for children

Monday, October 7, 2019

Monstrous

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters 
by Carlyn Beccia
Caroldrhoda Books, 2019
Grades 4-8

Fans of monsters and legends will devour this high-interest, survey book. Beccia, author of They Lost Their Heads, provides readers with the science and history behind famous monster stories. The book covers a variety of monsters including vampires, kraken, werewolves and Bigfoot. Beccia's conversational style and humor blended with science makes this a fun and relatable book for middle grade readers. At times Beccia speaks directly to the reader.

"Some people use fear to control the behavior of others. For example, I could convince you that a zombie apocalypse is coming and that you must read this book to survive. Then I would make tons of money, buy a castle in Spain, and live alone with my one-eyed cat and piles of Spam while you would fear every stranger as a possible zombie contaminate." (p. 7)

Pick up a copy of Monstrous to share with friends and family on Halloween. It's the perfect blend of horror, folklore, literature, science, and history combined with humorous illustrations and a healthy dose of wit and whimsy.


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