A. G. Cascone

This book was SO cute. Took a few chapters to get into but it had an endearing adult-like quality to it despite being for such a young age. So while the kids will adore it, parents will also be able to get into it and laugh out loud at times as well if they want to join in, preview the book before the children read it, or just read it for entertainment value.

Basically it's a family reunion where two young kids don't want to be around their weird relatives, hilarious and realistic the way they did it. The worst they try to avoid are their redneck relatives, the woman always cooking things with pig feet and ferrets and their many offspring, all ending with the name "Bob". Cute story and some of the lines are funny no matter for which age group. The monsters were funny and a country corniness that matched the plot perfectly.

It excelled with the two mains being so funny, sarcastic, and realistic kids put amidst dysfunctional family madness, while being bored out of their minds, being forced to eat yucky relative food, and endure family "bonding."

As every age group of this does, most chapters end on suspense annoyance, but this is toned down compared to Goosebumps and the like. Also, the monster ends up genuine but creatively done and certainly unique, again tying with the country bumpkin scene. Cute. I really dig this author team (two women friends writing together). Their suspenseful tales for kids work well as it's clear they have a lot of fun with the genre, the stories, the writing style which hints and winks at all ages, and the enthusiasm shines through for the adventures they write.… (more)

Knocking off another of these quickies from the bookshelf. This is the second "Deadtime stories" I've read. Despite it being geared toward youth, I think what I find so enjoyable about these fast, simple stories is the hilarity. Unlike Goosebumps, they don't end on eye-rolling cliffhangers every short chapter, and instead the author seems to focus on humor and sarcastic smart-alec kids with bad luck. In both books I've literally laughed out loud, so they are cute boosts to the mood. Story-wise this one was clever - two pals get more than they bargained for with a mischievous magic shop that has dire consequences in store. They wish to win the school talent show to win bikes, but also to up the local school drama queen. Of course things keep going terribly wrong, including turning the eccentric grandmother's cat, Tiger, into an actual Tiger. Fun stuff.… (more)