A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting #2: Beasts and Geeks by Joe Ballarini

My name is Liz, and I am a babysitter, sworn to protect innocent kids from deadly monsters. Kelly defeated the Grand Guignol last month, so the other six Boogeymen will be seeking revenge against her. She babysat baby Theo for me while I searched for the Spider Queen Serena, but I wasn't prepared for the anger I felt when I found my little brother changed into a big, blue, furry monster. Serena is biting humans to create an army of minions, so it looks like war has already been declared. She always seems to be one step ahead of us, and Mama Vee is missing too. Luckily, Kelly does a pretty good job for a newb, and the Spider Queen hasn't gotten her fangs into Theo yet. He's destined to grow up and become a great monster killer. Unfortunately, right now, monsters have a super sense of smell that can detect his stinky diapers!

I continue to be amazed at the entertainment value of this series. I never would have imagined being enamored by a worldwide group of young babysitters. I'm impressed by the adventure, action, and humor in the fast-paced plot. Kelly is the main character, and everyone can relate to her life as a middle school student. There are moments of forgetting her homework, problems with an old friendship, and complications of first love. However, most of the story focuses on the monsters' efforts to capture little Theo. You must keep reminding yourself that this diapered baby is supposed to grow up and defeat all of the monsters. In addition, his unexplained wails are actually warnings that monsters are nearby. An unusual twist to the plot is that Serena is transforming most of the minor characters into her puppets. Consequently, readers must constantly question everyone Kelly meets along the way. Are they under Serena's control. Another emotional complication pops up early in the story when Kelly fails to pass her babysitter training. How can she be a special monster hunter when she can't even pass her classes? I can highly recommend this series to you; you don't really need to read the first book in order to enjoy this one.