The League of Beastly Dreadfuls Book 1

Book excerpt: A creepy Victorian house, secretive aunties, and a great escape combine in this debut that is part Mysterious Benedict Society, part Roald Dahl, and all quirky, smart, hilarious storytelling. Join the League. . . . Anastasia is a completely average almost-eleven-year-old. That is, UNTIL her parents die in a tragic vacuum-cleaner accident. UNTIL she’s rescued by two long-lost great-aunties. And UNTIL she’s taken to their delightful and, er, “authentic” Victorian home, St. Agony’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane. But something strange is going on at the asylum. Anastasia soon begins to suspect that her aunties are not who they say they are. So when she meets Ollie and Quentin, two mysterious brothers, the three join together to plot their great escape! "Marvelously inventive and utterly demented, THE LEAGUE OF BEASTLY DREADFULS is nasty good fun from beginning to end!" -- Bruce Coville, My Teacher is an Alien "WONDERFULLY WITTY. It reminds me of Roald Dahl's The Twits only in an insane asylum."—Chris Grabenstein, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library * “A yummy debut.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Just the right mix of humor, magic, maliciousness, and suspense"—Booklist "Anastasia is anything but average, and her adventures are just beginning."—Publishers Weekly "Enough mystery and humor to keep readers wondering what will happen next. A solid debut reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."--School Library Journal "Abundant humor....Charmingly offbeat ...sure to entertain."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books