SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

February 17, 2022 by Mike Pawuk

The Sleepover | Review

February 17, 2022 by Mike Pawuk   Leave a Comment

The Sleepover
Written and illustrated by Michael Regina
Razorbill/Penguin
978-0-593-11736-1
Grade 5 and up

Young Matthew and his family returne from vacation to discover that their beloved nanny Ruby has passed away. Ruby was like one of the family and Matt takes it the hardest, withdrawing himself from his immediate family. He’s ignoring his younger sister Judy, as well as his trio of best friends. After a few weeks, Matt’s friends plan a sleepover filled with pranks, spooky movies, and snacks to cheer Matt up. Matt’s mother must go to work or risk being fired. A miracle comes to Matt’s mother’s door: Miss Swan, a raven-haired nanny who is ready and willing to watch Matt and his younger sister Judy. Miss Swan is happy to have the three other boys over to have the sleepover at Matt’s house.

At first glance Miss Swan seems like the perfect babysitter. She lets the kids stay up late and she leaves them alone for the sleepover. The boys can do whatever they like. They plan to eat plenty of junk food, make prank phone calls, watch spooky/sci-fi movies, and talk about girls. Everything feels almost perfect, but there’s something about Miss Swan that Matt doesn’t trust. Is Miss Swan really the local “Witch of the Woods” or is his imagination and grief getting the best of him?

A spooky and suspenseful tale for middle school readers, The Sleepover feels well at home with many 1980s and 1990s kids-vs.-the-supernatural/strange movies like The Lost Boys, The Goonies, Stand By Me, and the Netflix series Stranger Things as well as the “monster of the week” episode of the X-Files. It’s set squarely in 1990s, with frequent references to the 80s and 90s pop up to ground it during the time period, and it’s a lot of fun. Aside from trying to solve mystery of the Witch of the Woods, the boys discuss what Disney cartoon character they have a crush on and spend most of their time engrossed in horror/sci-fi pop culture of the time when X-Files was king of the late night and the great debate of what was the better space alien monster movie – Ridley Scott’s Alien or James Cameron’s sequel, Aliens.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Matt and his younger sister are the main protagonists of the book. Matt is lost in his grief and doesn’t want to forget Ruby. Judy is the lonely but kind younger sister who just wants to fit in with her brother and his friends and perhaps she’s starting to get a crush on one of Matt’s friends, the shy and nerdy Charlie. Matt’s other friends, Mario and Teo, are also important characters. All the kids have active roles in the book as they discover the mystery that is Miss Swan. Even the mysterious Miss Swan, with her possible connections to the Witch of the Woods, is not just a mindless monster of the week.

The characters’ fears, and their growth are all measurable. Matt’s love for the late Ruby has an ever-present role in the book. The book also serves a good message for all of us and how we all deal with the death and the loss of a loved one and how in life we can stand up to our own inner monsters (and the real ones too).

Highly recommended for fans who love a spooky monster story with a good dose of compassion, action, and nostalgia.


Filed under: All Ages, Graphic Novels, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
review

About Mike Pawuk

Mike Pawuk has been a teen services public librarian for the Cuyahoga County Public Library for over 15 years. A lifelong fan of comic books and graphic novels, he was chair for the 2002 YALSA all-day preconference on graphic novels, served as a judge for the Will Eisner Awards in 2009, as well as helped to create the Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee for YALSA. He is the author of Graphic Novels: A Genre Guide to Comic Books, Manga, and More, and co-author of the follow-up book Graphic Book II both published by Libraries Unlimited/ABC-CLIO Publishing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

Andy Warner's Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets | Review

by Mike Pawuk

January 2023

My Sister, the Cat, vol. 1 | Review

by Mike Pawuk

January 2023

History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin | Review

by Mike Pawuk

September 2022

History Comics: The Roanoke Colony | Review

by Mike Pawuk

September 2022

Batman's Mystery Casebook | Review

by Mike Pawuk

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

SLJ Debuts New Column “Mondo Manga”

15 Returning Faces for Graphic Novels Shelves | Series Update

12 Essential Nonfiction Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

'Salt Magic,' 'The Legend of Auntie Po,' and 'Run: Book One' Among 2022 Eisner Award Winners

Shoujo Manga Is Back: 8 New Comics Made for Girls

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023