Freak Street on Holiday, by Knive and Packer

WARNING!We would like to warn nervous readers that this book contains scenes of a disturbing nature, including:

• A scary sea creature swimming in a toilet bowl.
• A smelly bucket of squid eyes, octopus suckers and prawn tentacles.
• A TV star covered in serpent slobber

The authors apologise for any distress this may cause and would like to add that no sea serpents, big or small, were harmed in the making of this book. (from The Wizardsons on Holiday)

Freak Street is home to your every-day, garden-variety neighbours. There are the magic Wizardsons, the not-so-bright Humansons, the out-of-this-world Aliensons and of course the open-minded (literally) Zombiesons. These four titles are the second offering in the Freak Street series. Each sees a family deciding they need a holiday. With varying levels of democracy, destinations are chosen and bags are packed. The Wizardsons are off to Tropical Paradise Resort complete with Magic Spell Masterclass. The Humansons find their way to Las Baygas…eventually. The Zombiesons (senior) reluctantly and (junior) keenly find adventure in the wilds of Buccaneer Island. The Aliensons discover the joys and pitfalls of a working holiday in the country. Though each adventure is about holidays, the neighbours have very different aspirations, destinations and often hilarious experiences.

The four new Freak Street titles: Aliensons On Holiday, Humansons On Holiday, Wizardsons On Holiday and Zombiesons On Holiday all begin with life at home and its limitations. By the end of Chapter One, each family needs a holiday. And off they go, fast and slow, to their various destinations. Each family has a boy and girl of about the age of the intended readership, two parents and a baby. The action moves forward with nary a falter, propelled variously by the adult and child characters. There is someone for every reader. The illustrations are bright and colourful, giving an almost graphic novel feel to these stories. Cameos by a pair of wise-cracking flies scatter through the pages of all four titles. They are perfect for newly independent readers daunted by full pages of text, and would also suit slightly older reluctant readers. Recommended for middle-primary readers.