Beyond the Grave

Gr 5–8—These books offer brief descriptions of strange and bizarre creatures. Cox and Forbes focus on the creep factor here, at times making the titles feel more sensationalized than is warranted. However, a number of non-Western, Native American, and Latin American creatures are included, which may give readers a broader sense of monsters worldwide. The most mysterious thing about the series, however, isn't any one of the creatures; it's figuring out how the books are organized. Why are vampires listed in Haunted Houses? Zombies are covered in both Beyond the Grave and Witches, Wizards, and Dark Magic. Because the titles move from one creature to the next with no segues, these inclusions and repetitions feel awkward, and the authors seem to have difficulty discussing witches and wizards while still showing respect for religions like voodoo. Still, the approach will pique the interest of upper elementary readers, and the narrative is uninterrupted by pesky homework-style questions. There's not much to support the Common Core here, but for entertainment value, students will gravitate toward these titles.