Curse of the Werewolf Boy

by Chris Priestley

Overview

For fans of Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman, and Nightmares! comes a funny and deliciously creepy, action-packed adventure by acclaimed author Chris Priestley.

Mildew and Sponge don’t think much of Maudlin Towers, the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is their school. But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the teachers threaten to cancel their holiday break until the culprit is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!

But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in the attic? What’s their history teacher doing with a time machine? And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a werewolf?

This brand-new series from Chris Priestley, full of delightfully original wit, is perfect for young readers who like their mysteries with a bit of bite.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681199320
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/10/2018
Series:	Maudlin Towers Series , #1
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Chris Priestley is the author of The Curse of the Werewolf Boy, Mister Creecher, The Last of the Spirits, and several other spooky books for young readers. He worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years before becoming a writer. His books have been nominated for many awards, including the Edgar Award and the Carnegie Medal.

Editorial Reviews

"Scare yourself silly." - The Observer on "Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror"

"Wonderfully macabre and beautifully crafted." - Author/illustrator Chris Riddell on "Tales of Terror from the Black Ship"

"Inventive, deadpan, sardonic and cruel... is a creepy autumnal treat." - The Financial Times on "Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth"

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
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

School Library Journal

2018-03-27
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)

Kirkus Reviews

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