Curse of the Werewolf Boy

March 1, 2018

Gr 3-6-Friends Arthur Mildew and Algernon "Sponge" Spongely-Partwork share a mutual disdain for their education at Maudlin Towers School for the Not Particularly Bright Sons of the Not Especially Wealthy. It's no wonder that they're quite flummoxed when Mildew spots an odd little Viking sprinting along the ditch at the end of the sports field. They set out to discover the identity of the mysterious Viking as well as the whereabouts of the School Spoon. Without the Spoon's return, their teachers have threatened to cancel the school holidays. It's imperative the boys persevere despite encountering multiple red herrings, a ghost in the attic, and a time machine. Young readers will enjoy the silly shenanigans as much as they will delight in putting the pieces together to solve the mysteries. The unconventional characters, mildly menacing ghostly presence, and dramatic plot twists are sure to keep readers hooked. Quirky Britishisms sprinkled throughout the text plus the engaging illustrations add to the narrative's strong Victorian flavor. VERDICT More humorously odd than creepy, this engaging read is sure to serve as a solid warm-up to Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society or Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events."-Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
Odd doings at the Maudlin Towers School for the Not Particularly Bright Sons of the Not Especially Wealthy.First young Arthur Mildew and Algernon Spongely-Partwork spot (to quote the title of Chapter 1) "A Viking in the Ha-Ha." Shortly thereafter the school's prized Spoon is stolen (twice), and rumors of an arm-waving ghost give way to the arrival of a beautiful, arm-waving new Latin teacher. The lads decide to do a bit of "detectivating" (Mildew, explaining "red herring" to his dim associate: "Something that seems relevant at first but turns out not to be. Like algebra")--and hardly have they begun than they come upon a time machine built by former physics instructor Mr. Particle before his recent gruesome death. Decorating his "unfortunate events"-style narrative with gothic ink drawings of the all-white (even corpselike) students, faculty, and occasional slavering monster, Priestley sends his bumbling but resourceful detectivators crisscrossing back and forth from their present to Viking times, Roman Britain, and even into the future (where cookies are shockingly expensive and which readers will find quite familiar). By the end all mysteries are sorted (more or less), and Sponge and Mildew are left gloomily poised for another outing.There's no place like school, "grimy, gargoyle-encrusted walls" and all. (Gothic farce. 10-12)

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May 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 Mildew and Sponge's school, Maudlin Towers, is just as dreary as it sounds, but for the pair of outcasts, it's particularly loathsome, thanks to know-it-all bullies and a cruel gym teacher. When the School Spoon goes missing, Mildew is inspired by his favorite fictional detective to take on the case. In the course of their investigation, Mildew and Sponge notice all manner of strange things, including an out-of-place Viking, a maybe ghost, a new Latin instructor who's uncommonly good at the ancient language, and a suspiciously engaging history teacher who turns up in the oddest places. Those strange events and the non sequitur-filled interactions Mildew and Sponge have with the students and staff seem random at first, but once the amateur detectives discover a time machine, everything clicks nicely together. Priestley's Goreyesque spot illustrations, in thin, jittery ink lines and plenty of crosshatched shadows, add to the overall off-kilter mood. While the grim, macabre atmosphere feels more decorative than inherently spooky, middle-grade fans of madcap mysteries will likely be pleased with this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)