Ghoulia: Making New Friends Can be Scary (Book 1)by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 Ghoulia is a zombie girl who wants to make friends with the kids from the nearby town, but her aunt warns against it. Ghoulia gets the perfect opportunity to try in a sneaky way when Halloween comes around.I always loved books like this as a kid (still do) -- the kind of books that are a little bit goth ad a little bit creepy or spooky, with a focus on monsters and Halloween that's a little bit cute and a lot of fun. Ghoulia measures up on all fronts, and I'm so glad they used Halloween as a way to connect monsters and humans for the first book. I love that the kids are accepting of Ghoulia (both as a stranger in town and later as a zombie), even forming a pact at the end, and it's the adults that are the worriers (Ghoulia's family) and potential villains (humans); this makes it a more positive message for the target audience -- seeing "different" as "cool", and wanting to be friends. Ghoulia herself is much more kid-friendly than Lenore (who is another zombie girl from her own line of comics). Ghoulia is by all accounts like any other little girl, except that she's a zombie that can remove her body parts for fun. I like that Ghoulia is creative. I appreciate that she's only trying to find ways around the rules because she's lonely, and that she understands (at least to an extent) that the rules are there for her safety and the safety of her family. Her albino greyhound is a good complement for her personality, and has some traits of her own that make her an interesting supporting character while blurring the line once in a funny, anthropomorphic way. The art is lovely, with very well-done subdued watercolor-like coloring that fits the undead theme. I like that it mixes in a few real photos to add some depth and interest to the background and certain pages in particular (like Ghoulia's dress). I love all the little details and notes pointing out things in Ghoulia's house, but I also appreciate that it's not overdone (as much as I would personally love more spooky details). I love the punny names of her family members and how some of them exist after death. One of my favorite panels is of Uncle Misfortune's head (used as a jewelry box) next to a photo of a young Auntie Departed, who has her fingers in her ears to block out the head's chattering. The book is a hardback, and the pages are good quality, but the ties of the binding can be felt if you open the pages all the way; it's a small thing but could become a factor if the book is read a lot. There's also some activities at the end of the book including a couple spooky recipes, how to dress up like Ghoulia, and a game to find what's different between images. I never used extras like that as a kid, but I still enjoyed seeing them, as it make me think about other things I could do. There's a one-page tease for the next book, too, and I can't wait! If your kid likes creepy, spooky, and fun, and you want them reading something with a positive message, then buy this book, especially since it's only $10! Written: January 16, 2019
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