The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless

June 26, 2006
First-time author Zappa (son of rock legend Frank) mines his childhood fear of things that go bump in the night for this mock-memoir of a "monsterminator"-in-training, with recipes. Eleven-year-old Minerva McFearless, or Mini, as she's called, and her brother, Max, nine, stumble upon their father's secret trade—eliminating monsters. For years, they study his encyclopedic Monstranomicon
, a talking, biting (female) book that contains information about all manner of evil beast and "defensive recipes" on how to defeat them. Mini also learns to speak Monstrosity, the native tongue of Grumplemisers, Glorches and the Howleewoof who relishes "children con carne." This stealthy self-teaching comes in handy when their widower father is kidnapped by agents of the Zarmaglorg
, "the king of evil," who resides in faraway Castle Doominstinkinfart. With a cantankerous one-eyed coyote named Mr. Devilstone leading the way, a perilous trip to rescue Dad is on. The reptilian-skin look of the cover, Zappa's lively monster doodles and photo-illustrations of the main characters in key scenes, add kooky, creepy graphic appeal to the McFearless kids' escapades. A B-movie aesthetic keeps the narrative from being truly scary, and the repeated references to barfing, slime, blood and guts make this ideal summer reading for the crowd that's graduated from Captain Underpants. Ages 8-12.

July 1, 2007
Gr 4-6- -Minerva McFearless, 11, always felt miniscule until the day she discovered she was a mighty McFearless, a descendant of monsterminators or monster-slayers. Memoirs revealed that she was bitten by a book of monsters, theMs. Monstranomicon, which granted her the power to read and write in Monstrosity. Minerva and her brother Max embark on adventurous monsterslaying. A bewilder box, a scarlet diamond, and a talking coyote named Mr. Devilstone give them a mysterious start and bring them to the dark Castle Doominstinkinfart where their father is held against his will by the evil Zarmaglorg, commander of all monsters. Can they get there before he loses memory and is swaggled to death? Enter a host of monsters vulnerable to fresh-picked boogers, barf, and nonsensical words. Ahmet Zappa's debut novel (Random, 2006) is a riot, blending humor, mystery, and fantasy. Translated into audio, profiles of monsters are highlighted by breezy page turns of the voluminousMs. Monstranomicon, exposing their weaknesses. Each chapter is forwarded by instrumental jazz piano, saxophone, and xylophone music that foreshadows the plot, climax, and conclusion. Katherine Kellgren is a zany, zesty, and zealous narrator, delivering each line with mirth and hilarity. Zappa's surprise ending track is a delight, summarizing the book into one brilliant, hilarious song. The novel ends with the promise of a sequel. Have the book available so listeners can see the drawings of the monsters and the black-and-white photos of scenes sculpted by Clay Sparks. Youngsters who enjoy books with quirky humor, such as the Cressida Cowell'sHow to Train Your Dragon (Little Brown, 2004), will enjoy this audiobook.-Ann Crewdson, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

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