Review by Kirkus Book Review
A new witch comes to Stubtoe Elementary. Readers return to Creep's Cove in this second installment in the series following 2022's Welcome to Stubtoe Elementary. An island for various creatures and monsters unwanted by the human world, Creep's Cove serves as a safe haven for these beings. The same group of likable misfits from the first book returns, including Lobo the werewolf, Quade the Sasquatch, and Vlad the vampire. New kid Elise, a witch with greenish skin and black hair, joins the crew and does her best to fit in. The book is mostly a string of vignettes held together loosely by the theme of Elise's entrance. This jumping around means that readers won't get bored easily, but the format is less effective in this volume than in the first. A good portion of the second half of the book, beginning with the section entitled "Terrible Choices: The Sleepover," reads like a choose-your-own-adventure story, which is an engaging format that here features disappointingly lackluster choices and not enough fun twists or surprises. The illustrations add a lot to the text, and there are several comic strip breaks. One standout is "Science vs. Magic: The Ultimate Debate," in which science-loving Frankie takes on Elise. Rapid-fire sparring between the two results in a surprising agreement. A fun concept with less for readers to sink their fangs into; returning fans may not mind. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
