In the vein of “The Goonies” and There's a Batwing in My Lunchbox by Ann Hodgeman comes Monster Moon: Curse at Zala Manor, the tale of AJ and Emily, two friends who get caught up in a centuries old pirate curse cast on AJ's family line. This book has it all: secret tunnels and talking animals, mad science and real monsters. This is the perfect Halloween themed book for in class reading in elementary schools and early middle schools. Equal parts scary, mysterious, gross and silly, it's pure fun. It's definitely recommended for all collections aimed at fostering a love of reading.

This is an entertaining children's mystery adventure, with lots of exciting and suspenseful situations that the two main characters find themselves in. Not only is it scary, but it's educational as well, because scattered all throughout the story are learning facts, with some science thrown into the mix. I also thought that the main male character, AJ, was a very good role model. Quite enjoyable book! I'm looking forward to the next Monster Moon book to buy for my grandson.

It's rare that an adult can get "in the head" of their young readers, but BBH McChiller does a great job of grabbing the reader's imagination and not letting go. Pirates, vampires, zombies, ghosts and ancient curses ... what more could a kid ask for in a book? The Curse at Zala Manor is fun, well-written and definitely a book that every kid will enjoy reading ... preferably in a dark room, under the covers, with a flashlight. Try to get it before Halloween. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!