One of the few good things about life in the caves is the internet connection. It does allow me to spend time Skyping with my kids and they especially like bedtime stories. It is a bit worrying that it is often stories about monsters that are most often requested, especially given my predicament for the past couple of years, but good stories about monsters are in plentiful supply here in the caves.

For the past two weeks my 6 year old son and I have been enjoying the first book in the Monster Makers series: Electrotaur and Slashermite and I must admit to having read ahead towards the end, as I had to know how it finished.

When Jack and Lewis inadvertently spill Merrion’s Mead on pictures of their monster creations, they are more than a little surprised to wake in the night and find their pictures had taken on a life of their own… literally! An eight foot high monster that glows and sparks is somewhat tricky to hide in a shared bedroom and the trail of destruction left by his smaller sidekick monster, Slashermite, is not much easier! At least the monsters are friendly and reasonably compliant… until they hunger, or thirst. Unfortunately, getting hungry and thirsty is something that monsters have a natural tendancy towards… on a frequent basis!

This is a fun book with plenty of humour and action to attract young boy readers in particular, though my daughter also loved all of the Monster Makers books and devoured them in short order some time ago.

Ali Sparkes has become a firm favourite author with both of my children. The humour and pace of her stories keep them begging for more and more. Fortunately for them, Ali does not appear ready to disappoint. Her prolific run of stories is set to ensure I have plenty to read at bedtime for a long time to come. Roll on Stinkermite! But first a little side-track… a short book that Timothy picked up from the library today – Emmelina and the Monster. Oh goody! More monsters. Just what I need!

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