Scare Scape by Sam Fisher (review)

Scare Scape is the most popular horror-themed comic book around, and Morton is its biggest fan. When his family moves into a house that turns out to have belonged to the late John King, the Scare Scape author and artist, Morton's thrilled, especially when he discovers a gargoyle in the yard that promises to grant wishes. A few rash wishes later, though, Morton's sister Melissa has got a seemingly infinite closet (complete with fashions all the way back to the Middle Ages), his brother James is slowly transforming into a monstrous Greater Spotted Wargle Snarf, and Morton's collection of Scare Scape monster toys have come to horrific life and are starting to wreak havoc on the neighborhood. The three sibs—along with two newfound friends—must investigate King's past (and his mysterious death) and fend off the increasingly hungry and reproducing monsters, all in order to discover how to reverse the black magic that set their wishes off. Straddling the genres of horror, low fantasy, and action thriller, with slight nods to The Twilight Zone and E. Nesbit, this book holds high appeal for kids like Morton who are fascinated with the creepy and the weird, and the strong characterization, authentic conflict within a family reeling from the loss of a mother, and Morton's impressive inner strength while under pressure add dimension. An imaginative illustrated field guide to Scare Scape's monsters introduces the book. Give this one to kids looking for something a step up from Goosebumps.