Beast Ballerz

Don't let the initial "kid slang" fool you—this book is a monster-sized delight. When I first opened Beast Ballerz, I didn't think it was for me. The narrator's 11-year-old voice felt a bit grating to my older ears, and as a 4th-grade teacher, the age/grade math felt a little strange. I also quickly realized the doodle-style illustrations throughout the book were simply not my personal style. However, as Wesley King opened up the world of Prodigium Academy, I found myself completely sucked into the lore.Think Percy Jackson meets Hotel Transylvania, wrapped up in a fast-paced sports comedy. The "beast ball" games are thrilling, the monster dynamics (werewolves, gnomes, trolls) are incredibly fun, and the characters have a surprising show more amount of heart. I went from being a total skeptic to genuinely rooting for Baxter and his misfit teammates. Highly recommended for kids aged 9–12, especially those who love sports, fantasy, and underdog stories! show less

A really solid MG novel with a great self-deprecating narrator, some funny world-building (monsters are afraid of dogs!) and a charming plot about the power of teamwork and believing in yourself. However, the internal illustrations are weak; the artist is obviously used to working in colour and the black and white renderings look amateurish and unfinished to my eye. A great recommendation for basketball aficionados or fans of supernatural humour.

Many thanks to Tundra Books who sent me a final published copy for review.

This is a great book that takes a potential scary topic, like werewolves, and makes it fun and engaging for elementary kids. I only wish that it had more illustrations to help feed the imagination.