The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo Series, Book 1

Starred review from July 25, 2016
Charles, a heavyset kid in a baseball cap, fancies himself a hard-hitting journalist; he already has his own blog. After his parents move to Echo City to renovate a decrepit apartment building, it doesn’t take long for a news item to emerge: a terrifying, snaggle-toothed monster looms over his bed on his first night. The next day, Charles’s new friend Kevin passes him a business card for one Margo Maloo, Monster Mediator. “They say monsters are afraid of her,” Kevin says. “Don’t show it to any grown-ups!” In the adventures that follow, Charles plays a bumbling Watson to Margo’s chilly Sherlock: “You don’t know how stupid you sound right now,” she snaps. The world of monsters Margo introduces Charles to produces endless surprises, as when he discovers that his building’s resident monster has a better collection of Battlebeanz figurines than he does. Weing’s (Set to Sea) artwork combines urban landscapes with an exhaustive interest in monster forms and the way they appear in the dim light of basements. It’s a beautifully conceived and executed trio of stories, and readers will hope that more installments are on the way. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
In the grand tradition of childhood adventures executed free from adult interference, this graphic novel takes readers on escapades involving two young monster hunters and the ghosts, goblins, and other wicked beasties lurking in the underbelly of their city. Reluctantly relocated to a fictional location reminiscent of New York City, Charles takes up residence with his mother and father in a dilapidated historic hotel where he soon makes two new friends: Kevin, a black boy determined to set a world record of some sort, and Margo Maloo, self-styled "monster mediator," a brown-skinned, pointy-featured girl whose glossy black hair flips in a manner strangely reminiscent of the collar of Dracula's cape. Charles is an endearing underdog, a chubby white boy who alphabetizes his personal library by subject and pours his aspiring journalistic ambitions into his blog. Over the course of three chapters, Margo helps Charles with the monster that emerges from his closet and, after some badgering, allows him to tag along as she answers pleas from other monster-plagued humans. Frequent humorous touches temper the fear factor for younger readers, while references to more advanced concepts such as gentrification add depth for older ones. Clever dialogue enhances this intriguing and multilayered story set in a fully realized world of monster and human coexistence. A tough, ambitious, and courageous heroine is always welcome, and Margo and Charles are an odd couple kids will enjoy rooting for. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

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October 1, 2016

Gr 3-6-When Charles and his parents move to Echo City, their new home is a mostly abandoned apartment building where the family can live for free while doing repairs. The boy is less than thrilled about his rundown surroundings but completely undone by the monster he sees in his room at night. A new friend puts him in touch with Margo Maloo, a young "monster mediator" who introduces him to the troll-Marcus-who lives in his basement, and Charles's opinion of life in Echo City skyrockets. Other stories in the volume involve a lonely, mischievous ghost and a kidnapped baby ogre whose mother thinks Charles is responsible for her child going missing. Throughout, tough, mysterious, motorbike-riding Margo tolerates Charles's bumbling, enthusiastic presence, eventually agreeing to take him on as her assistant, a move that promises future adventures for lucky readers. Weing's colorful drawings reward extended examination; Echo City is rife with monster life, and creepy crawlies turn up in the most unexpected places, but domestic scenes and the city streets also show the artist's keen eye for details. VERDICT This charming graphic novel is ideal for fans of Luke Pearson and Noelle Stevenson.-Stephanie Klose, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Grades 3-6 Charles is grouchy about moving to Echo City to live in the dilapidated apartment building his dad is renovating, and he's even more outraged when he discovers a real-life monster living in his closet. His new neighbor Kevin is in the know, however, and hands him a mysterious business card for monster mediator Margo Maloo, and when Charles avails himself of her services, he's introduced to an entire monster community dwelling right under his nose. As an aspiring journalist, Charles thinks he has the scoop of the century, but Margo, who's mysteriously close to the monster community, insists on keeping their investigations off the record. Weing's affable, stocky figures traipse around the enormous city, the scope of which is heightened by cantilevered points of view and wide-format panels, while his monsters strike that sweet spot between cartoonishly comical and creepy. With a saturated color palette, noirish dialogue, and a thought-provoking message about gentrification, this first in a series (originally published as a webcomic) is packed with warm laughs and smart, spooky mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)