Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 1: The Night Things, Special Edition

Those mostly familiar with Naifeh’s work on Holly Black’s Good Neighbors trilogy will find Courtney Crumrin’s first adventures revelatory of what he’s capable of on his own. In this opening story, middle-schooler Courtney moves into the house of her creepy great-uncle Aloysius and finds more to occupy her time than constant disdain for her upwardly mobile and downwardly aware parents. Her new life includes the monsters—real monsters—that lurk in the woods, as well as another kind in her new school: a gang of elitist bullies who have no idea of the supernatural underbelly that surrounds them. Courtney soon discovers that the worlds of monsters and humans interact more than anyone imagines, and both interest and duty demand that she dabble with her uncle’s dark arts to combat the evils. It’s a chance for the mismatched relatives to bond and provides the sweet center of Naifeh’s dark comedy. In the end, Courtney’s a highly relatable heroine for younger readers. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)