Scream Street: Skull of the Skeleton and Claw of the Werewolf
Scream Street: Skull of the Skeleton
Tommy Donbavand
Illustr. Cartoon Saloon Ltd.
Ages 8-12
Paperback,128 pages
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763646350
If you loved Fang of the Vampire (#1), Blood of the Witch (#2), Heart of the Mummy (#3) and Flesh of the Zombie (#4), you’ll simply adore the funny, grisly, gore of Skull of the Skeleton (#5) and Claw of the Werewolf (#6). In the Scream Street Series, author Tommy Donbavand luxuriates in haunting plot surprises for our hero, Luke Watson who, at the start of the series, becomes a werewolf on his 10th birthday. Soon Luke and his family are sent away to G.H.O.U.L. (Government Housing of Unusual Life-forms), on Scream Street. It soon becomes clear to Luke that, while he’s making ever more interesting friends, his parents just can’t get used to having vampires and mummies as neighbors.
Luke now faces a daunting task — finding six relics mentioned in Skipstone’s Tales of Scream Street, a history of the community’s founding fathers. With the help of this ancient volume and his nightmarish new friends, Luke must locate the relics and use their combined power to unlock the doorway out of Scream Street so he can take his parents home.
Each book in the series helpfully begins with a recap of this basic storyline, as well as a spread of wonderfully illustrated character portraits and a map of the monstrous neighborhood. While I wish the map were a bit larger and the labels of “Who Lives Where” a bit clearer and easier to follow, the map does enhance the reader’s sense of setting, and provides just enough detail to fuel the imagination. The tales are best read in order, so readers may have the satisfaction of watching Luke draw nearer his goal as he creeps through the cobwebs to acquire each new relic, to save his parents from a life of deep unease (and a concerning dearth of smiles).
Each volume of Scream Street includes glossy, collector’s cards of the series’ characters, illustrated in color.
Scream Street: Claw of the Werewolf
Ages 8-12
Paperback,128 pages
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763646385
In Claw of the Werewolf (#7), Luke Watson is closing in on the last of the six relics he needs to complete his quest. What scares and snares are in store? You’ll have to read the book — I’m no spoiler!
Kids will no doubt wish to check out the website, Screamstreet.com for its regular Screamcasts and a subscription to the Terror Times.
Watch for the next in the series! Invasion of the Normals (#7)
Delightful Scream Street trailer narrated by Donbavand himself:
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Ceci Miller is co-publisher of BooktiMookti Press, home of the Runt Farm chapter book series. She is also a children’s author, book editor, and owner of CeciBooks editorial and book publishing consultancy for authors and indie publishers. See some of Ceci Miller’s recent book projects.
