Meet the Cryptids

Bigfoot
Some favorite books:
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett
Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero by Maureen Fergus
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman

Odds are that you don’t believe in me. It's okay, you can admit it. My feelings won’t be hurt. But I bet you have a relative who believes in me. You know the one. You only see him at family reunions or your cousin Samantha’s wedding. He has a 50s style haircut. His pants are several inches too short. If you linger alone too long at the punch bowl, he’ll corner you and talk your ear off about the strange hairy man he saw lurking early one morning at the back of his lot, near the clothes line that runs along the woods. He’ll tell you about the overpowering skunk-like odor (my feelings are a little hurt by that) and how he tried to snap a photo. Of course it turned out all blurry.

I’m here to tell you that I do exist. You’re right about Great-Uncle Bill, though. Crazy as a loon.

I don’t lurk. I read.

I'm Bigfoot.



Morzant the Alien and 
His Lab Assistant, Mortimer
Favorite book: 
Zeentonian Integers and You (by Dofrum Sepuqo)

Favorite EARTH book: 
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Since arriving on Earth I have become fascinated by the literary pursuits of humans. Bigfoot generously invited me to join his book club and has furthermore requested that I share book recommendations on his blog. Uncertain as to whether my alien sensibilities will allow me to successfully recommend books that humans will enjoy, I test every book I read on my guinea pig (as I understand is common practice in scientific studies on this planet). To postulate: if Mortimer likes it, other Earthlings will, too.

Penny C. Monster
Some favorite books:
The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline Ogburn
Clockwork by Philip Pullman
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp
The Serpent Came to Gloucester by M.T. Anderson

Bigfoot knows I love to read. That must be why he asked me to work with him on his book blog. I sent him an email saying yes. Fortunately, he didn't get it. I guess it went into his spam folder or something. I say fortunately because, to sweeten the deal, Bigfoot offered to pay my library fines in exchange for my help. I owed $574.23. (You'd be surprised how cranky a librarian can be if a book gets just the slightest bit wet.)


Norman the Half-Invisible Turtle
Some favorite books:
Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 4) by Jeff Kinney
Holes by Louis Sachar
Mean Margaret by Tor Seidler
The Power Of Un by Nancy Etchemendy
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin
Swindle by Gordon Korman 
Tiny Tyrant by Lewis Trondheim

Being a turtle can be kind of boring, if you want to know the truth. That's probably why I like to read. Not much interesting happens when you live in a shell, but anything can happen in a book.


Beverly the Other Half-Invisible Turtle
Some favorite books:
The Murder Of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
Orwell's Luck by Richard W. Jennings
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Skellig by David Almond
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
The Trolls by Polly Horvath
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Just kidding. I'm not really a speed reader. I read slowly, so I can savor the story. Sometimes I read very slowly because I don't want the book to end. I like all kinds of books, even the ones that make me cry.


Briar the Psychic Beagle
Some favorite books:
Methuselah's Dog by Betsy Wernert
No Room for the Dead by Betsy Wernert

I know lots of things before they happen. Sometimes I see what's going to happen in a vision, sometimes I get a strong feeling. Like, if somebody nearby is about to pop a tray of peanut butter cookies into the oven, I just know. Bigfoot thought it might be fun to put my psychic abilities to use for his blog. I will be predicting future book releases. Got to run...I sense impending peanut butter activity.


Lenny, Oliver, and Violet 
the Paranormal Puppies
Some of Lenny's favorite books:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Alicia Has a Bad Day by Lisa Jahn-Clough
Chester by Mélanie Watt
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Nobody Is Perfick by Bernard Waber
Rosie's Fiddle by Phyllis Root
Timothy And The Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz

Some of Oliver's favorite books:
10 Minutes to Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Polo: The Runaway Book by Régis Faller
Sector 7 by David Wiesner

Some of Violet's favorite books:
Clifford The Small Red Puppy by Norman Bridwell
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
Dogs on the Bed by Elizabeth Bluemle
Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman
I Love My Little Storybook by Anita Jeram
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Merl and Jasper's Supper Caper by Laura Rankin
Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems
Winnie All Day Long by Leda Schubert