YA Book Revioew: Henry Hunter and the Beast of Snagovby John Matthews

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge,from Sky Horse Publishing, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.





Well, it IS October, so it's only right to share some great books for kids this month, that feature monsters and mayhem!

henry hunter cover


Synopsis:


Adolphus Pringle lived a relatively normal life before he met Henry Hunter, but being the best friend of a twelve-year-old millionaire genius certainly makes life interesting. He has accompanied Henry on adventures all over the world and encountered dozens of supernatural creatures. Henry has a penchant for paranormal mysteries, and he never fails to drag his trusty sidekick, Dolf, into adventures to track down the truth in these mystical legends.


Henry announces one morning that he and Dolf are going to go in search of a creature more terrifying than Dracula himself: the Beast of Snagov. The pair of supernatural investigators travel from where Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby to Transylvania. Along the way they come across some strange things such as Dracula’s daughter, Bella, and an organization called the Order of the Dragon that wants to sacrifice Henry Hunter to the Beast of Snagov. When Henry is taken, it’s up to Dolf and Bella to team up and rescue him!



Will Henry survive this supernatural adventure? Get ready to discover the world of the supernatural through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the first adventure in the Henry Hunter series!


Review:

Thanks to the author's keen interest in folklore, this book may be for kids, but even adults will be entranced by Henry's tale of Transylvania! The book is aimed at the middle grades, ages 8-12, and it does delight that age level. Without parental involvement (ie no parent would let two 12 year olds travel to Transylvania by themselves, or say no you can't go vampire hunting), Henry and Dolf are a dynamic sleuthing duo, along the lines of the Hardy boys, but updated to entrance kids lured by video screens. The fun search for a vampire leads them to a friend who IS a vampire, and a search for the Snagov instead. The three kids remind me very much of the trio from Harry Potter, which kids will be able to relate to, making their friendship understandable. Add in some spy thriller adventure with the 3 and you have a rollicking fun read for kids, perfect for reading during the month of Halloween! Miss Grace ad I both give it a high 5 for fun!


About the Author:

John Matthews is an historian, folklorist, and author. He has produced more than ninety books on Arthurian legends and grail studies. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian traditions and myth in general. He lives in Oxford, England.

About Sky Pony Press:

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Timesbestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

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