Stuffed

Fourth grade has ended, and ahead lies a summer of reading, swimming, and—most importantly for Clark, who lives in mortal fear of monsters—short nights. Though he knows he’s a tad old for his stuffed animal collection, he also believes in its protective force. When a monster begins seeping life from his dad, who turns “pale and lifeless and confused,” Clark tries to use his stuffy army to protect him. But Clark’s mother, worried about his stuffies “obsession,” packs him off to a week of camp to improve his “social skills.” Even worse, she forbids him from taking any stuffies along, though his grandmother, who is battling cancer, saves the day by creating a powerful stuffy, Foon, which she insists accompany him. Clark’s camp friends educate him about monsters, but it’s ultimately Foon who takes on the deadly monster that is feeding on Clark’s father. Braswell (Disney’s Twisted Tales series) uses Clark’s and Foon’s first-person narratives—interspersed with stuffy patterns throughout—to convey Clark’s fears and his family dynamic, his struggle to make friends, and the power of love over fear. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown. (Nov.) [/em]