My Vampire vs. Your Werewolf (The Versus Series #1)

Tobin (the Plants vs. Zombies series) crafts a creature feature delight in this uproarious series launch. When monsters are banned from contemporary society, the Crafters Guild is born. Led by a witch, the Guild aims to maintain monster culture—and creature morale—by seeking out cryptids and arranging sanctioned fights between them. Finally allowed to seek out their first monster, budding Guild Trainers and nine-year-old best friends Gabe and Hayden break into the legendary vampire Count Durstan’s Welsh castle and invite him to fight a werewolf. Meanwhile, in Detroit, Trainers Joon and Tradd track werewolf Redd to his warehouse lair and offer him an opportunity to battle a vampire. Meeting at Camp Falsehood in Washington State, the Trainers are preparing their monsters for battle when a storm leaves the children alone with the creatures and no Guild Wardens or Crafters to safeguard them from the assumed-bloodthirsty fiends. Tobin delivers a richly imagined world brimming with self-sufficient characters and monsters that break the mold. It’s an amusing take on how one’s differences can be their strength—even the ones that can kill. The book’s cover depicts the human cast with varying skin tones. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)