Beast Ballerz (Beast Ballerz #1)

In this rollicking romp from King (Benny on the Case) and Wolfhard (Stanley Will Probably Be Fine), a series launch, 11-year-old human Baxter “Bax” Brooks awakens one morning to discover that he has grown hair from chin to toe seemingly overnight. After his supportive (if slightly bewildered) parents accept what appears to be his new werewolf identity, Bax is sent to Prodigium Academy, a school for misfit monsters. There, he hopes to continue playing basketball—or beast ball, as the academy’s dean calls it. But the Prodigium Pugs, the only mixed-monster team in the league, holds the worst record of their peers and faces constant interference from the Extremely Inconvenient Phantom, who proves shockingly apologetic about its shoe-stealing antics. Now it’s up to self-described “Bax-squatch” to help his teammates embrace their creaturely differences and turn adversity into victory. Lively dialogue strikes a deft balance of horror and humor while exploring themes of identity, friendship, and resilience, crafting a school story that is as heartening as it is laugh-out-loud. Thin-lined, stylized illustrations showcase an array of monster characters while providing visual gags and energy, appealing to fans of sports, Halloween-y fun, and character-driven adventure. Ages 10–up. (May)