Can You Catch a Swamp Monster? (You Choose: Monster Hunter)

Gr 4-7--This snappy, interactive series casts readers in the "roles" of cryptozoologists/investigative reporters on "missions" to hunt for intriguing cryptids. Typical of this type of fare, different paths are suggested to readers every few pages so they can select desired routes based on given possibilities. Various choices and story endings are offered, and with so many options, students have lots to read and reread in these slim volumes. While they "explore," readers, addressed with personal pronouns throughout, also learn facts about the monsters, e.g., their origins, locations, what's known about them, and where they've been seen. Each volume opens with an announcement of readers' "assignments"; the final chapter in each title no longer involves readers as investigators but sums up facts about the monster (or, in the case of the alien book, facts about extraterrestrial life and space exploration). Texts are lively, written in present tense, and use vernacular prose, keeping readers and their "assignments" immediate. Occasionally, things get gruesome, and "no one knows for sure" is the ultimate conclusion. Catchy, kid-appealing covers and atmospheric illustrations and photos enliven the proceedings; maps are used where needed. "More ___Sightings," a back-matter feature in each volume, contains examples of other, similar types of the cryptid. VERDICT Recommended for public and school collections. The series's clever premise offers some action-packed, entertaining reading opportunities for good as well as striving readers.