Tag Archives: Cryptozoology

May21

Monster Island – George Ivanoff

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

  • May 2023
  • ISBN: 9781761047244
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $16.99

Soooooooo, take a little Jurassic Park, a pinch of Big Foot, a handful of Little Shop of Horrors, a smidgin of mad scientists, a scoop of Bass Strait Triangle [like the Bermuda one, but closer] and an actual drop bear, and stir vigorously with some George Ivanoff – and voila! the perfect, albeit a little crazy, adventure with which to tempt your reluctant readers especially.

Bernie’s mum has ruffled some academic feathers with her speculations on cryptids, so is exceedingly relieved to be offered a great new job opportunity as a paleontologist, although the secrecy surrounding specific details and location is a little unnerving. Bernie is worried about the lack of information, but realistically, he’s pretty peeved that he can’t accompany his mother and has to stay behind with his aunt. Unless of course…………yep, he stows away and when his mum lands on Monster Island, Bernie is literally only a few steps behind her. When he’s sprung by older, and much sassier, teen, Ivy, he thinks perhaps the jig is up. But Ivy is unusually placed to be both conciliatory and bossy, given her father is the director and wealthy owner of the whole research facility and more.

Monster Island is like an anachronism of both prehistoric times and speculative fiction with its wildly divergent and bizarre flora and fauna: dinosaurs with opposable thumbs, sentient fungi, and what appears to be a ferocious drop bear for starters. There are certainly huge problems when Ivy’s father discovers the presence of Bernie and his daughter’s extra-curricular activities on the island but these pale into insignificance when the security of the island and its wildlife is threatened by an unknown military-style operation, intent on poaching the unique animals.

While the adults try to rally some meaningful defenses, Ivy and Bernie take on the poachers and the rat in the pack of the research scientists, armed only with cattle prods and a friendly dinosaur known as Lea-Lea.

This is seriously wacky but seriously fun, and the fast-paced adventure will have great appeal. It’s not taking a stand as such but certainly readers will gain satisfaction from knowing that just being an adult does not consitute being always right, always smarter or always stronger, and they will love the possibilities of the crazy creatures. I foresee much potential with some imaginative artwork!

I love that George has included notes that provide information about some of the factual aspects of the narrative e.g. Bass Straight Triangle and cryptozoology (which in my experience is a field of great intrigue for kiddos).

Highly recommended for readers, especially those hard-to-please ones from around 8 years upwards.

Oct31

The Supernatural Survival Guide – George Ivanoff

Posted on by
Standard

Penguin Australia

September 2021

ISBN: 9781761043635

Imprint: Puffin

RRP: $24.99

Here is the third in George’s Survival Guides and it’s not just in our house that each has been so anticipated. This one is totally going to tick boxes for a lot of your readers – and dare I say it, the geeky, the preppers, the curious, the sceptics and the ones who just love weird. In fact, kiddos that would feel very comfortable meeting George himself for a good chinwag as he is so adept at putting the Style into eccentricity – and that is totally a compliment! I couldn’t get the Human Body Survival Guide away from the Kid and this one will be even more firmly held in her grasp (or at least bookshelf). Not for nothing, has she faithfully absorbed the X-Files and anything else supernatural she can find – although I have to say, our foray into ‘yeti sighting’ territory around Noosa and the information that there were serious ‘spotters’ did make her laugh a lot!

George tackles all things spooky in this new guide from UFOs (oh yeah, Roswell rocks!) to Nessie, ghost-busting to spirtualism, the power of the mind and ‘other random weird stuff’. In other words, there is something to intrigue and fascinate just about every reader, no matter their preference in freakish encounters, events or experiences.

I have done a very successful unit of work with Year 8s exploring cryptozoology so this is not just a topic or, indeed, a book just for a primary audience (clearly the Kid confirms that). I have successfully recommended the two previous books to reluctant boy readers, who have come back for more (so come on George, I’m going to need more than three please!).

I’m still dipping in and out of it – which is definitely part of the huge appeal of these books. The design of information being well broken up into fact boxes/files, diagrams, tables, snapshot case studies, dot point lists and ‘post it’ notes is a complete winner and ensures accessibility for any reader. And the cleverness of each book being a different colour theme (yellow, then orange, now lime green) is inspired (plus they look really stunning on your bookshelf -or would if they stayed there long enough).

Love it – a LOT! and I highly recommend it for your readers from curious 8-year-olds up to…well, adults really.

Thanks for another cracker George – I did promise I would write this wearing a foil helmet for protection and then discovered, I’ve run out! I’m a bit anxious that this will not be a secure alternative – please advise!