MMGM- Slappy Beware! and Fablehaven Cookbook

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
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Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Teach Mentor Texts 

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Unleashing Readers

For some reason, there always seem to be lots of spooky titles being released in the summer, and this year is no exception! As I head into the August releases (here on April 12), I see a large number of titles. To kick off this month of  middle grade horror, what better title to review than this back story of the Goosebumps' series Slappy? 

Stine, R. L. Slappy Beware!
September 20, 2022 by Scholastic Inc.
Library copy

Back in the quasi-medieval times, we meet Ephraim Darkwell, a toymaker whose pleasant business hides his evil intentions. When the townspeople realize that he is dabbling in the dark arts, they decide to attack. Someone comes to warn Darkwell, who doesn't quite believe the threat, but when his nephew Isaac is beaten, he puts his evil plan into action. He has created a wooden doll and given it the happy and innocous name of Slappy, but tasked it with being evil and doing an act of destruction every day, lest he perish. Slappy takes gladly to the challenge of being evil and prepares to unleash his ways on the world. We flash forward to the present day in Florida and meet Reggie and Poppy. Reggie has a ventriloquist dummy named Junior with whom he preforms in the school talent show. Poppy plays the banjo but has a less than stellar performance. She tends to copy Reggie, and for her birthday, asks for a dummy as well. She recieves Mr. Wood, which her father has picked up at a local toy store. Right away, things are odd; Mr. Wood makes rude comments to the children's aunt at a family gathering. Of course, the siblings start to squabble, each blaming the other for Mr. Wood's actions. Their parents don't believe them that it is the toy that is creating the havoc, but eventually, everyone realizes that the dummy is evil. The father tries to return it, but Slappy ends up in the trash. There, he is picked up by Bryce Carlton, who tries to make Slappy part of the family, bringing him to dinner. His friend Deshaun thinks it is a little weird, but indulges his friend. Slappy  keeps up with his practice of doing evil things every day. This is sometimes hard, and he is angry when his family foils his plans. He's frustrated, especially when he falls overboard and is waterlogged, and thereby consigned to be left alone while his family goes out without him. At this time, Darkwell appears to Slappy to say that he has made peace with the world and wants Slappy not to be evil anymore. He works a spell, but is it enough to keep Slappy down?

Strengths: This is worth buying for the complete list of Goosebumps books in the front, as well as a nice pictorial spread of the covers of all the series at the back. I haven't read all of these books, since my library only had the Fear Street series, and it wasn't until  Son of Slappy came out ten years ago? that I read them Goosebumps titles. They are all a bit goofy, but still appear to middle school readers who like a less serious horror book. There are plenty of cliff hanger chapter endings, jump scares, and unbridled, somewhat silly evil. 
Weaknesses: I'm such a fan of Stine's handling of historical details that I was expecting more from the Darkwell installment. Young readers will think it's fine. Also, there are so many books by Stine that I can't keep them all straight, nor make sure that all of my series are complete! 
What I really think: I bought this one without having read it and have no regrets. I am a bit curious to see if there is a small series arc of new Slappy tales. 

Mull, Brandon and Mull, Cherie. The Official Fablehaven Cookbook: Wondrous Recipes Inspired by the Characters from the Series
August 1, 2023 by Shadow Mountain
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Starting with a story about Seth and Kendra dealing with the disappearance of some Brownies who often help in their kitchen (if you know the series, you won't be surprised at the perpetrators!), this is a solid collection of recipes for different meals, although it seemed to skew a little to the sweet side. It reminded me a bit of The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven in the beautiful formatting-- lots of full color pictures, page decorations, and very good photos of every recipe, which is a big plus. Everything was tied into the book very well, and there's a bit of discussion about the food, which I always enjoy. 

Am I going to make a unicorn milkshake now? Probably not. Would my mother have let me roll the rim of a glass in frosting and then in sprinkles when I was twelve? Absolutely not. Would I be more than happy to melt chocolate and make that unicorn horn if I had a grandchild? You bet. This is fun to read, and since I do a lot more reading than cookie, this was fine. The recipes are generally pretty solid; pancakes, hummus, and play dough recipes all looked like ones I had. For fans of the series, this would make a great gift, especially if packaged with some of the more exotic ingredients. 

Would I have let my own personal children make fairy toast? No. Was my mother perfectly fine with cinnamon toast? Yes. If making guacamole and putting a face on it makes you happy, this is a great book to have. Just make sure you lay in an extra supply of sugar!