The Night Door (Edison Beaker, Creature Seeker)

In this hilarious graphic novel, Edison Beaker is about to find out what services the family business, Creature Seekers Pest Control, really offer. (Hint: forget about rat and roach removal . . . think monster hunting!)Edison Beaker and his young sister Tesla are staying with their uncle Earl, manager of the family pest control company, when an alarm sounds and he has no choice but to drag them along on a service call.They should have listened when he warned them, "stay in the van." Monster-sized mayhem ensues when the kids chase their escaped hamster into a mysterious warehouse--and suddenly they are the ones being chased as all sorts of creepy creatures scurry, slink, and stomp through a secret Night Door.The first of two new middle-school graphic novels that introduce a funny, smart, likable, reluctant hero and his wisecracking younger sister, whose adventures are sure to appeal to readers of Lunch Lady, Hilo, and Caveboy Dave.

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-Like many kids, Edison Beaker is afraid of the dark. After his father goes missing, Edison keeps the flashlight he gave him to chase away monsters. When Edison and his nosy little sister Tesla get stuck with their uncle Earl for the night, they assume they'll have a quiet night in. But Uncle Earl is actually a "creature seeker" who works to keep the monsters at bay from the human world. Edison and Tesla are unexpectedly dragged into the Underwhere (prompting many jokes about its homonym, of course), and with the help of Tesla's curious pet hamster and a cool monster girl named Knox, they must do their part to keep the darkness from invading. The adults show up when convenient, letting the kids tackle most of the problem-solving. Edison and Tesla have a charming sibling dynamic-though they annoy each other, they also have a bond based on love and trust. While this volume wraps up the immediate conflict, larger questions about the world and the characters are left unanswered, so readers will be invested in future installments. Cammuso's artwork is more cute than scary, but his panel work is creative and heightens the suspense. VERDICT Hand this start to a winning series to those who enjoy Jeff Smith's "Bone" or are looking for a rip-roaring, funny adventure.-Gretchen Hardin, Sterling Municipal Library, Baytown, TXα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

Frank Cammuso is an Eisner-nominated author-artist and the creator of The Knights of the Lunch Table and The Misadventures of Salem Hyde graphic novel series, among other books. He is a former award-winning political cartoonist for The Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse. His cartoons have been reprinted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Newsweek. He teaches illustration at Syracuse University.

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