Andres MiedosoReseñas

This story is such a great fantasy and suspense book for young readers! This might not be a good whole class read-aloud since it does contain some scary parts to it, but the element of suspense will really hold readers' attention and could be great for some independent reading. It starts out with the main character, Andres Miedoso who just moved to a new town. His parents wanted him to make friends with the neighbor boy, Desmond Cole. Andres wanted to make new friends but he thought Desmond was very strange, and that detoured him from making a real connection with him. After a series of "strange" events continued to happen in Andres' new house, Desmond came to the rescue with his ghost patrol gadgets. Instead of scaring off this ghost, the ghost actually become friends with Andres, as Andres felt sorry for him, knowing the sadness of moving too often without a real home. Therefore, Andres let the ghost live in the den of his home, with the promise that he wouldn't try to do any strange or scary things. This story might especially be of interest to new students or students who have just moved to an area.

Featured in a blog post at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2020/07/20/chapter-books-whats-good/ (July 20th release)

It turns out ghosts DO ride bikes, as a matter of fact, and one of them is haunting the skate park! Fortunately, Andres and Desmond know just what to do; all is resolved when the ghost sets up shop as a bike mechanic. (All that clanking associated with ghosts? They just like fixing stuff.)½

Recommended by Catherine & Ryan

Andres Miedo moves all the time - but this time, it seems he has moved into a haunted house. Luckily, his next door neighbor is Ghost Hunter Desmond Cole!

Also read in this series:
#2 Ghosts Don't Ride Bikes
#6 Major Monster Mess
#8 Campfire Stories
#9 Now Museum, Now You Don't

This is the eleventh book in the series, and the first one that I've read. But that didn't cause any issues, since these characters are easy to slide right in with...and this book is an adventure all of its own.

Andres and his best friend, Desmond, are off to Kersville Amusement Park for a day of fun. The day starts amazing as a teen suddenly brings Desmond a box of VP wristbands...for no apparent reason. Since they aren't about to say no, the two head off for a day of fun only to soon discover that something is quite right. A ghost mingles on the rides, but when it approaches them and asks them to follow, they realize this isn't going to be a usual ghost adventure.

This book is simply fun and great for those readers, who are just getting a good handle on their word skills. One-hundred and twenty-plus pages sounded like a lot, at first, but this tale flies by with ease. Not only is the text placed in an easy to read and see font and format, but each page holds fun illustrations, too. It's super simple to sink into the pages and simply enjoy the adventure from beginning to end. And what an adventure it is!

The story is told from Andres point of view with Desmond being the true ghost-hunter and brain. It's clear that Andres respects his best friend quite a bit, and the two have each others' backs no matter how ghostly things get. There are more than a few moments of tension, and more than a few unexpected twists. The ghosts definitely keep the two boys on their toes. Add the original way these boys deal with ghosts....it's really not what I expected...and it's also a read with a wholesome message. But mostly just a ton of fun.

I received a complimentary copy and really enjoyed going on this ghostly adventure.

I love this series! I recommend starting with the first book, but after that it's okay to skip around, although we've been reading them in order. My favorite is Surf's up, creepy stuff; but I love them all.
A great series

The series:
- Well written and funny; uses good literary devices such as bookending, foreshadowing, allusion
- Not too scary, but suspenseful (perfect for my 7 year old)
- Great characters and character building including a hispanic boy and a black boy
- Generally the reveal reveals that what was scary is just not knowing, and that the truth is cooler than you'd think (still paranormal)
- A nice balance of black and white illustrations and text (again, great for my 7 year old)
- Reading level... good for an emerging reader- those who have learned all the base words and are ready for beginning chapter book

My children love these books and as a bonus I do too.

Andres has moved to a new town, yet again. Boring old Kersville. Except maybe it's not quite so boring after all... First, he meets a strange kid next door called Desmond who drops some very odd hints about calling him for help. Then he discovers his new house has a ghost!

Luckily for Andres, Desmond just happens to be the world's eight-year-old ghost expert. Like a paranormal Encyclopedia Brown, Desmond sets out with his equipment and solves the problem. But can he solve it before the ghost destroys Andres' house or gets stinky ghost goo all over the couch??

Told in the first-person, this funny, gross, and slightly scary book is the perfect beginning chapter series for kids who are fans of Ghostbusters or want just that little hint of spooky, but not too spooky. Rivas' black and white illustrations show the normal-boring Andres, smart and sassy Desmond, and their clueless but friendly parents.

Even better, I've finally got a beginning chapter series starring a Hispanic family! Woo! Andres' family throws in the occasional Spanish phrase and have dark hair and light brown skin. His parents are scientists and move around frequently because they work for the government. Desmond and his family are African-American and they live a pretty typical suburban lifestyle. They're not sidekicks or friends of the white kid, they are the main protagonists!

Verdict: Kids will laugh out loud at the funny antics, shiver over the spooky haunting scenes, and snicker as the ghost gets a taste of Desmond's mom's lasagna. Yuck! Perfect for beginning chapter readers with large type and plenty of black and white illustrations. I'm going to have to wait because I want to add it to my series section, which I can only update annually, but next December I will be purchasing the whole series! Recommended.

ISBN: 9781534410381; Published December 2017 by Little Simon; Borrowed from another library in my consortium