Costume Quest: The Invasion of the Candy Snatchers

Gr 3–5—Based on the video game of the same name, this story centers on several monster pals during their favorite time of year, Halloween. The land of Repugia is experiencing a severe candy shortage. To impress his crush, Klem convinces his buddies to travel through a portal to the human world to obtain candy. Their plan is to make it back in time to attend that evening's party, but when a problem with the portal crops up, Klem and his pals aren't sure they'll be able to return home at all. Even worse, the bully Ophirion and his cronies also came through the portal and are stealing candy from human kids everywhere. Klem gets so caught up in his candy-seeking that he eventually ignores one friend and loses track of the other. The monsters' problems and conversations will resonate with children. The conclusion is silly but sincere and stresses the power of friendship. Gorman's artwork is colorful and detailed, and his monsters are amusing, especially next to the humans in their regular costumes. Kids who appreciate wordplay will enjoy this joke-packed text.