Desmond Pucket Makes Monster Magic (Desmond Pucket Series #1)

by Mark Tatulli

Overview

"Tatulli's entry into the comics/fiction--hybrid market is one of the best…The target audience will snap this up and beg for more."

---Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This is full of ghoulish fun, and fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid probably won't want to miss it."
---School Library Journal

"Desmond Pucket neatly fills a gap for our readers---it's a step more sophisticated than Diary of a Wimpy Kid but appeals to that reader. It's also so great to have a Halloween/monster/scary stuff series to offer boys that is not Goosebumps."
---Rebecca Waesch, Children's Product Manager, Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Meet Desmond Pucket---professor of frightology and master of monsters.

Someday Desmond will be famous for his special effects wizardry, but for now he's just trying to make it through sixth grade at Cloverfield Memorial Junior High, which means he needs to stay one step ahead of the school's disciplinary officer, Mr. Needles.

The only problem is Desmond just can't stop pulling pranks---like the time he attached a shrieking rubber goblin to the toilet seat in the teachers' bathroom. Mrs. Rubin screamed so loudly her wig flew off! Or the time he put giant motorized worms into the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. Or the time Desmond and his best friend, Ricky, arranged for a three-headed ghost to crash his sister's slumber party. Rachel still hasn't forgiven him.

And now Desmond has to stay prank-free for the rest of the year, or he won't be able to go on the class trip to Crab Shell Pier, home of the Mountain Full of Monsters ride! It's going to be tough, but Desmond has to try.

This book includes a section of "Desmond's Notes": instructions for making monster magic (think scary noises, or fake blood) at home!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449440671
Publisher:	Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2013
Series:	Desmond Pucket Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	59 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mark Tatulli is an internationally syndicated cartoonist best known for his popular comic strips Heart of the City, which chronicles a fun-loving, tenacious little girl's adventures in the big city of Philadelphia, and Lio, which tells the adventures of a young boy and his pet squid. In addition to cartooning, Tatulli is an accomplished filmmaker and animator, and the recipient of three Emmy Awards. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Donna, three children, and three nefarious cats, all of whom supply endless ideas for his books.

Editorial Reviews

08/19/2013
Tatulli, creator of the syndicated comics Heart of the City and Lio, jumps to Wimpy Kid–style illustrated fiction with the story of self-described “Gourmet of Gore” Desmond Pucket. Like a budding Ray Harryhausen, Desmond loves nothing more than designing monstrous special effects. When readers meet him, he has awakened his mother in the middle of the night, complaining of a stomachache: “A large red stain spreads across my belly... and a slimy, multi-eyed, many fanged creature breaks out of my stomach with a screech, its tentacles jiggling and blood spurting from the gaping hole!” (“Are those the new pajamas I just bought you?” his mother sighs in the accompanying cartoon.) Despite Desmond’s flair for the dramatic, his life is grounded in reality: he joins a series of clubs to try to avoid expulsion, as well as qualify for a sixth-grade class trip. Tatulli’s sometimes-gruesome caricatures have the feel of George Booth by way of Ralph Steadman, and while the story’s jokes don’t always hit the mark, readers will walk away with plenty of mischievous ammunition. Ages 7–12. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Mark Tatulli is one of my favorite cartoonists, and now he brings his delightfully warped comic sensibility to Desmond Pucket with a hilariously offbeat hero who will have kids howling. Desmond Pucket is a surefire hit and an absolute scream." (Lincoln Peirce)

"Desmond joins a long list of heroes who inspire me while making me hurry nervously out of the room. I salute Mark Tatulli! From a safe distance. Locked in a closet. With a stuffed animal for comfort." (Lemony Snicket)

(starred review) "Tatulli's entry into the comics/fiction-hybrid market is one of the best...The target audience will snap this up and bet for more." (Kirkus Reviews)

"It’s silly and fun and heartwarming all at once…a must read and a must add to any bookshelf for the grade 3-6 crowd." (Esther Keller, School Library Journal's "Good Comics for Kids" blog)

"Desmond’s school experience is very realistic and students, mostly boys, will be able to relate to his shenanigans and his journey of self-discovery.  Put this in the hands of reluctant readers and they will be asking for more." (Elyse DeQuoy, Library Media Connection)

"This is full of ghoulish fun, and fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid probably won’t want to miss it." (Esther Keller, School Library Journal's "Good Comics for Kids" blog)

"I think deep down we all have a Desmond Pucket inside us. You won’t be able to put this book down as you laugh your guts out!" (Avery, age 9, San Francisco Book Review)

"Desmond’s adversarial relationship with disciplinary officer Mr. Needles ranks right up there with Archie and Mr. Weatherbee for fun reading." (Kat Kahn, VOYA)

From the Publisher

Gr 4–6—Sixth-grader Desmond Pucket loves horror special effects. Goblins popping out of toilets, exploding zombie heads, and mass-media digital scares are what he lives for. He takes things too far, however, and is forced to give up his bloody ways. When he finally finds a niche and does well at a new, wholesome life, spooky, disgusting, slimy things start happening all over the school. Desmond is getting framed, and he has a good idea who is doing it: his best friend. Desmond is an interesting protagonist. He has all the trappings of a misunderstood troublemaker, but with a twist: he is truly a prodigy at something. Most of the story is focused on helping him find the proper venue and audience for his skill, rather than using it to cause disruptions. The book is chock-full of sketches in Desmond's "hand," and kids will like the drawings in another style that outline his big scares. The story is an enjoyable, if unexceptional, quick read. It will be most appealing to those already into "Big Nate," "The Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and James Patterson's Middle School: Get Me Out of Here! (Little, Brown, 2012).—Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, ME

School Library Journal

★ 2013-09-15
Desmond's monster magic pranks are excellent--but they might get him expelled. Sixth-grader Desmond Pucket loves to pull special-effects pranks: fake blood in the PTO's coffee cake, a goblin in the teacher's-lounge toilet, wiggling worms in the cafeteria mashed potatoes. However, Mr. Needles, head of the Cloverfield Memorial Junior High disciplinary office, has had enough. If Desmond doesn't participate successfully in one extracurricular activity, then Desmond is out. Getting expelled means missing the field trip to Crab Shell Amusement Pier and the chance to finally ride the awesome Mountain Full of Monsters thrill ride. Desmond finds just cleaning up his act won't cut it because someone's trying to frame him; can he find out who without losing his ticket to the amusement park? Tatulli's entry into the comics/fiction–hybrid market is one of the best. Desmond's discovery of the importance of being himself adds just the right amount of realism and depth to his tale…of course, "himself" is a prankster and troublemaker, so grown-ups might not appreciate this particular epiphany. Neither will they love the special-effects-prank instructions in the backmatter. The target audience will snap this up and beg for more. Colored illustrations and comics plus the whacked, gross humor and glow-in-the-dark cover make this a must. Sequel promised. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews