Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters

July 31, 2023
On his birthday—the same day as All Hallows’ Eve—Black British 12-year-old Rayleigh Mann can’t wait to join his troublemaking classmates for annual trickery. After sneaking past his snoozing grandmother, who is from Jamaica, Rayleigh searches for his friends. But he can’t find them, and with London’s mandatory “Lights Out to Help Out” curfew swiftly approaching, he makes his way back to his family’s fancy high-rise apartment, only to be intercepted by a girl named Marley. She introduces him to Thelonius, a creature called a jumbie seemingly straight out of his Nana’s Caribbean monster stories. Thelonius claims to be Rayleigh’s uncle and informs the tween that he’s a monsterling, and son of the infamous Bogey Mann—a legendary “Supreme Scarer”—who’s gone missing. After agreeing to help search for his father, Rayleigh journeys to Below-London with Marley and Thelonius. On top of his quest, he must pass a series of trials, be accepted by the leader of the underworld, and settle a power struggle. In this action-packed fantasy adventure, Smart (Witches Steeped in Gold) combines organic-feeling descriptions of eerie London streets with Caribbean folklore to craft a world teeming with ghoulish scares and creepy creatures of the night. Ages 8–12.

August 1, 2023
A 12-year-old boy discovers that he belongs to a world of monsters. Rayleigh Mann, a Black British boy, has always been a bit of a troublemaker. It's All Hallows' Eve, and he's excited to meet his friends for tricking--and the occasional treat--even if it means sneaking out of Brutely Estate, the London high-rise where he lives with Mama and Nana, who is from Jamaica. But Rayleigh can't find his friends, and the government-imposed curfew to save energy ("Lights Out to Help Out") in a world affected by climate change is rapidly approaching. Instead of trick-or-treating, Rayleigh is captured by a brown-skinned northern girl called Marley and meets his Uncle Thelonious, a jumbie. Rayleigh learns that he's a monsterling; his missing dad is the Bogey Mann, "Supreme Scarer for the entire Confederation of Lightless Places"; and now he has the opportunity to pass trials in Below-London that will allow him to become a citizen of a world where monsters scare kids into behaving properly and produce Volence, a renewable energy source harvested from "rehabilitated children." Rayleigh must race against time to complete the trials and rescue his father before evil triumphs over good. Rayleigh rises to the occasion and stands out due to his great courage and curiosity. The diversity of monsters from various cultures present in the story is refreshing. Readers will be left on the edges of their seats, waiting for the next series installment that may fully unravel the mystery behind his dad's disappearance. Fantastic, frightful fun. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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August 1, 2023
Grades 6-8 Smart (Witches Steeped in Gold, 2021) welcomes every kid who feels a touch monstrous to an underground world where monsters of all types live in an uneasy balance. Drawn to Below-London, Rayleigh Mann searches for his missing father, the infamous Bogey Mann. Yet even in the land of monsters, not all is well. With Below-London on the verge of falling apart and its monsters on a citywide treasure hunt, Rayleigh will need to rely on friends who are jumbies, ghosts, and witches to keep his new family safe. Full of crackling British humor and Caribbean folklore, Smart's story evokes the perfect Halloween: children snatched from their beds, ominous prophecies peddled by seers, and plenty of chocolate--a must-have for readers who love Tracey Baptiste and Lora Senf. What are you ghouls waiting for? Toss a token in your laundry hamper, hop inside the swirling vortex, and embrace the monster within.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.