Boy vs Beast: Ice Beast by Mac Park

Kai Masters is a border guard; his job is to keep Earth safe from the beasts of Beastium.  Kai and his dogbot battle buddy, B.C., must battle the beasts that are continually mutating, this means new beasts, combo beasts and new environments that Kai must endure in his quest to keep Earth safe.

The series Boy vs Beast is brilliant, a great book for newly independent readers with illustrations that enhance the excitement and battle descriptions.  These books have everything a young reader could want - epic battles, a cool robot dog buddy, powerful mutating monsters and brilliant gadgets and gear.  The story is fast paced and exciting making it an engaging independent read but also a great read aloud story, although be prepared for lots of discussion about how the listener would have fought the beast. 

This series promotes discussion about the story, and the illustrations certainly help the reader to understand the story.  I love this series as they are aimed perfectly at newly independent or reluctant readers with humour and the good guys winning in the end.  They combine just the right amount of suspense and danger for the age of the reader. 

This is a series that is guaranteed to be a hit in any library or classroom and is a good one to read aloud or encourage independent reading. 

Themes: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Beasts.

Mhairi Alcorn