The New Step-Mummy (Meet the Kreeps Series #2) Book

Polly can't believe that her dad actually likes Veronica Kreep. But that doesn't compare to how she feels now that the two are getting married! And if Polly thought the Kreeps were bizarre, that was only because she hadn't met the extended Kreep family yet! One thing's for sure, marrying a Kreep is anything but boring!

Polly Winkler just wants to be a normal kid in a normal family. When you're ten, that's hard enough. But it's even harder when your dad decides to marry the mother of the weirdest family in town!

Polly seems to be the only one in her family who sees how strange the Kreeps really are. Her older sister is too busy cheerleading to notice anything and her younger brother is consumed with preparing for the county spelling bee championship.

With the Kreeps around, Polly is always at risk of dying of embarrassment. But at least she knows that life will never be boring!

Children's Literature

Ten-year-old Polly thinks her family has gone totally off the deep end as plans for a crazy wedding materialize. Dr. Winkler, a dentist, is marrying Veronica Kreep who moved into the neighborhood. Vincent is her tall and pale eldest son who never smiles, but flies on a skateboard; Damon, on the other hand, smiles way too much as if he is hiding concoctions and brews in the basement. The youngest child, green-eyed Esmerelda, who mysteriously disappears like a cat, has a favorite pet tarantula named Bubbles. Is Uncle Vlad from Transylvania really a vampire? Could it be that roasted rattlesnake will be served at the wedding reception? Perhaps there is a solution. If Polly can prove to her dad that the Kreeps are a weird family, he would call off the wedding to Veronica, especially when Grandma tells him herself. Since Polly only has two days to do it, the story continues to be a humorous look into the lives of these families. Her plan works (in a sense) to uncover the truth, but yields surprising results. There is indeed a somewhat unusual wedding ceremony with a ship's captain presiding and black decorations. However, Polly learns that creepy brothers, mysterious green eyes, and a frightened little girl are part of being a normal family just like hers. To everyone's delight, she decides to rescue Esme from a high tree by gently talking with her. It turns out that she was afraid of Polly's big sister Joy and younger brother Petey all along. Even Damon's "sinister plan" (a special punch) was the hit of the reception! Simple sentences make this a quick read but still a good story that features a good mix of characters. The reading level might be lower than expected for this age range. Theseries would, however, be terrific for Reader's Theatre or further character study as students explore additional story lines. Reviewer: Susan Treadway, M.Ed