A boy takes off on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure through a mysterious land, with the help of some monster friends It’s Halloween, and everyone in Charlie’s small town is excited for this year’s festivities. Charlie's grandfather, Old Joe, is famous for his holiday haunts, and his pumpkin patch is the center of the town’s zealous celebrations. But for Charlie, Halloween’s just one more reminder that his cousin Billy isn’t around anymore. Charlie plans to keep to himself this year, hanging out in the haunted barn with his trusty dog Ringo. But when Charlie runs into some neighborhood bullies who are after his candy, he heads off into the woods to escape. He quickly gets lost, but spots a kid who he thinks is Billy. As Charlie chases after him deeper and deeper into the woods, he finds himself entering Monsterland—a mysterious place where werewolves live amongst trolls and goblins. Here he meets the Prime Minister, a vampire who tells Charlie he may be able to see his cousin again in this strange new land. Accompanied by a hulking monster chaperone, Charlie’s determined to find out just what happened to his cousin, and sets off to explore the secrets hiding in this uncharted territory. Gr 4–6—Charlie Cooper is a troubled daydreamer who misses his cousin, Billy, who disappeared six months ago. For Charlie, nothing feels quite right. Halloween isn't the same without his sidekick, and he believes Billy is still out there. When Charlie's teacher discusses some local lore about uncharted land on the town map, Charlie's curiosity is piqued. While escaping bullies, Charlie stumbles into a graveyard and seeks shelter in Monsterland, the unexplored piece of his town. In Monsterland, Charlie meets the Prime Minister, a vampire who explains how Monsterland serves as a haven from the outside world for all kinds of monsters. Charlie encounters giants, werewolves, trolls, ogres, goblins, hobgoblins, a Persian Manticore, witches, marauders, wendigos, warlocks, mummies, and strigoi (troubled spirits of the dead rising from graves). The boy realizes that the land must remain protected and that Billy might be in there somewhere. Charlie begins his quest accompanied by none other than Frankenstein's monster himself (aka Franklin). The two journey across various parts of Monsterland as they search for Billy. The ending is satisfying, though Crowley paves the way for a sequel. Themes about death and the grieving process elevate this title above the average ghoulish fantasy. VERDICT Perfect for fans of Ransom Riggs's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children or readers looking for a monster tale that's not overly scary.—Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL Praise for Monsterland : ★ “The book’s emotional journey is just as enthralling as its physical one, blending well and evoking the works of Norton Juster and Jeff Smith. A compelling, imaginative, cathartic journey. ”— Kirkus Reviews , starred review “ Perfect for fans of Ransom Riggs’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children or readers looking for a monster tale that’s not overly scary.”— School Library Journal “The perilous fantasy adventure moves the plot nicely along, while Charlie’s grief over his cousin adds realistic emotional stakes. Kids who love fantasies with meaningful substance will like this, too .”— Booklist James Crowley is the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade novel Starfish . He lives in Austin, Texas. Chapter 1 No Man’s Land Charlie was there again, in this familiar place, with its windswept sand and jagged rocks, its vast emptiness. For a moment, he thought he saw the boy out on the open plain in the distance. He had seen him here before and called to him, but there was never an answer. This left Charlie to wonder if the boy was ever really there, or if instead, he was seeing nothing more than the other shadows that stretched across the horizon. The name he called out to the boy was Billy, and in this place Billy always walked alone, in silhouette, toward a setting sun. “Charlie, Charlie Cooper.” Charlie opened his eyes. There was a puddle of drool next to his hand on the yellow plastic grain finish of his desk. “Would you care to join us?” Charlie’s fifth-grade class laughed, and someone—even the teacher, Ms. Hatchet, wasn’t sure who—was making cartoonish snoring sounds. “Come on, Charlie, sit up. You may be surprised. You might actually find this interesting.” Ms. Hatchet clapped her hands. “And, class, that goes for the rest of you too. We’re almost there. Class!” Another clap. “Class!” Charlie blinked, slowly focusing on his notebook and the tattered photograph that was propped up against it. The picture was of two boys standing in front of a large barn. Charlie was the smaller of the two, although it was difficult to make out his cousin Billy’s face through the sun flares that had dappled the camera’s lens that day. Both boys were wearing vampi