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Middle School Bites (Middle School Bites #1)

by Steven Banks (Author) Mark Fearing (Illustrator)

Middle School Bites (Middle School Bites #1)
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Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Middle School Bites
cms Common Sense Media Review

Tom is desperate to fit in at school, but he's hungry and howling, not to mention half dead. Blame it on the vampire - and the werewolf - and the zombie - in this monstrously funny new series from SpongeBob SquarePants head writer Steven Banks.

Thanks to a series of unfortunate bites, eleven-year-old Tom is a triple threat: he's a Vam-Wolf-Zom. And just in time for the first day of middle school. So much for his Invisible Tom Plan. He never thought to make a What If I Turn Into A Vampire Werewolf Zombie Plan. Maybe it's time for a Run Away and Live Somewhere Else Plan? With the help of his irrepressible best friend, Zeke, Tom tries to accept his future. Zeke thinks being a Vam-Wolf-Zom sounds EXCELLENT! (Zeke thinks everything sounds EXCELLENT!) At least he'll be able to stand up to the sixth-grade bully. The question is will the rest of Hamilton Middle School accept the Vam-Wolf-Zom, too?

Tom's toothsome saga is illustrated with clever, cartoon-style art on every spread. Created by an Emmy-nominated writer for SpongeBob, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, and CatDog, this new series is perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Last Kids on Earth. EXCELLENT!

cms Common Sense Media Review
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School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--When 11-year-old Tom Marks is bitten by a bat, a wolf, and a zombie, his plans to survive middle school by flying under the radar are dashed. On his first day of school, the sun feels burning hot, he finds himself howling in chorus, and he has a strange craving for blood. Tom realizes that being a vam-wolf-zom has some advantages, but will superhuman strength, hearing, eyesight, and speed save him from notorious bully Tanner Gantt? And how will he fit in at school once his monstrous secret is revealed? This new novel by the head writer of SpongeBob SquarePants combines typical middle school angst with a hilariously over-the-top monster movie premise. Likable, funny Tom dreams up far-fetched visions of the future. Black-and-white cartoon drawings by Fearing ramp up the humor. The cliffhanger ending ensures that there will almost certainly be a sequel. VERDICT With its enjoyable characters and wacky concept, this novel is sure to have wide appeal.--Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Fearing adds images of pop-eyed cartoon monsters and middle-schoolers to almost every spread, capped by a startling twist at the close to set up further misadventures. A fang-tastic kickoff."—Booklist

"Tom's first-person narration is frank and engaging; much of the novel's humor arises from his wry, self-aware commentary. A good portion of the remaining humor is drawn from Fearing's grayscale spot cartoons, with their exaggerated facial expressions and exquisitely scratchy details. . . . This series opener is a howling good time." —Kirkus Reviews

"A middle school student who is a vampire, a werewolf, and a zombie, and still fits in better than we did at that age. Laugh out loud funny and real helpful tips for getting through those grades. We wish we'd read it then."— Penn & Teller, hosts of Fool Us & world-renowned stage magicians

"Monstrously funny and hilariously terrifying! Steven Banks has been making me laugh for a very long time. Now he's making me laugh and scream!"—Peter Hannan, creator of the Nickelodeon series CatDog
Steven Banks
Steven Banks is a New York Times best-selling writer who received an Emmy nomination as head writer on SpongeBob SquarePants, wrote for The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron and CatDog, has appeared on TV shows like Penn & Teller's Fool Us, attended Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, wrote a book called King of the Creeps, co-created the international theater sensation Shadowland, and lives in California with his wife. He was once bitten by a donkey, but did not turn into a Donkey Man.

Mark Fearing has never been bitten by a werewolf, a zombie, or a vampire. But he was bitten by the creative bug which is far more dangerous. Books he's illustrated include The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot, by Margaret McNamara, and Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom!, by Candace Fleming, as well as The Great Thanksgiving Escape, which he also wrote. He lives in Oregon with his family.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823445431
Lexile Measure
570
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
February 20, 2020
Series
Middle School Bites
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV035000 - Juvenile Fiction | School & Education
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Schools
Vampires
Werewolves
Middle schools
Zombies

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