Imagine being the only human kid in a school full of monsters—and then the local beach suddenly vanishes.
Eleven-year-old Otto Normal is Danielle McKechnie’s protagonist; a quiet human boy who just moved to an island full of ghosts, vampires, and zombies. Otto is the only human in town, and he is just trying to find his place until White Pine Beach mysteriously disappears. He eventually joins forces with his monster classmates to track down the missing shoreline and figure out why their strange community exists at all. There are currently two books in the series, so readers have an immediate next step once they finish this debut adventure.
This story is a great fit for students who are still building their English skills or those who usually avoid hefty novels. The book uses a hybrid style that blends regular text with full-color graphic novel pages. These visuals by Simón Estrada help students follow the plot and understand how the characters feel without relying solely on the prose. Since the same cast of monsters and the island setting return in the next installment, students can start the second book feeling like they already know the world, which helps them gaqin fluidity. In the classroom, Otto’s experience as the “only human” can easily be used to spark talks about empathy and what it feels like to be an outsider.
Total Books in Series: 2 Best Starting Point: Otto Normal’s Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach
