Monster Locker (Monster Locker #1)

After Pablo Ortiz’s best friend humiliates him at a summer sleepover—during which Pablo, frightened by a storm and pre-bed ghost stories, wets the bed—he worries about starting sixth grade. But when Pablo is assigned a locker in the school’s haunted basement, his friendship problems become the least of his concerns. Tricked into opening a portal to a monster realm by Obie, the ancient evil trickster residing in his locker, Pablo—alongside fellow misfits Takashi Rosenberg, Maggie Murphy, and Francisco Gomez—must save the world from the earth goddess Coatlicue, who vows vengeance upon humankind for the way it has treated the planet. As Pablo and company endeavor to protect the city of Columbus and prepare for battle against Aztec foes emerging from the locker, his abuela arms him with powerful family treasures and spicy xocolatl. Despite inconsistent human character designs by Martínez (Courage to Dream), the folkloric monsters are comically and meticulously rendered, and messages of appreciation and respect for the natural world are interwoven throughout. This graphic novel series opener by Aguirre (Call Me Iggy) gets off to a rip-roaring start that hints at even more exciting creatures to come. Ages 10–14. Author’s agent: Tanya McKinnon, McKinnon Agency. (Oct.)