Sam Hay

Steve thinks spending his holiday helping his father run his pharmacy and shop is a boring idea in this early reader from the UK, and then a series of creepy customers come by and show him what excitement is. From a witch to a vampire, a werewolf to a headless horseman, he discover that his dad is right in saying that you never know who will come in the door, when you're running a store...

Although there are basic chapter divisions here, Creepy Customers is a little two simplistic to be show more described as a proper chapter-book, which I have always understood to be a very simple novel, usually (but not always) under one hundred pages. I initially sought it out because of the witchy cover art - witchy picture-books and early readers are a pet project of mine - but found the other creepy customers appealing as well, and enjoyed the book as a whole. A simple but engaging story from author Samantha Hay is paired with deliciously spooky artwork from illustrator Sarah Warburton. Recommended to early-readers who enjoy spooky tales. show less

This new Branches series shows that even something that looks "fluffy" can be both fun and well-written.

Stella is a little worried about getting new glasses - especially when her mom says she has to get a haircut too! Will anyone recognize her if she looks so different? When she stops to help a sweet but strange lady, something happens to her glasses and she starts seeing....odd things. Fairies! Soon Stella discovers where those knots in her hair are coming from and that her glasses aren't show more just ordinary anymore!

Simple black and white illustrations convey a feeling of sparkle and fun throughout the story, as well as illustrating Stella's moods. The fairies are dainty and sparkly, but have personalities. Stella's everyday worries, combined with the addition of a little fairy magic, make a delightful story that fairy fans will enjoy.

Verdict: This story is simple but the writing flows smoothly, the dialogue is crisp and although the story isn't particularly original it's presented in a fresh and engaging way. A great addition to my library's collection of Branches titles.

ISBN: 9780545819985; Published 2016 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library show less

Zombie pets! I think this will work for lots of kids, but as an adult reader Dumpling was SO ANNOYING.

This is a decent illustrated beginning chapter book. The illustrations are black and white, but the characters are expressive and visually varied. The text is a good size for young readers. I will say that despite being the second book of a series, it stands on it's own quite well, giving a brief overview of the premise, and the characters that I assume were introduced in the first book are secondary to the story in this one, which focuses on meeting a new type of sprite and changing their show more bad behavior by redirecting them to an acceptable alternative. show less