Boy vs Beast: Lava Beast by Mac Park

“Kai Masters is a Border Guard. He must battle beasts to keep Earth safe. Things have changed in Beastium. There are new beasts. Combo beasts. Will Kai and his Jet-Drill be able to stop the lava beast?”

Behaving like an ordinary kid, Kai plays soccer and joins the team for a BBQ party after the game. He has a far more important role, however. His dog, BC3, has a laser light tail, supersonic hearing, retractable fur, and a human chat button. They live in an old lighthouse with hidden rooms and labs with incredible computers.  Together, in their new adventure, the two discover that the earth is under attack by a lava beast. Immediately, they don new fighting apparel, collect upgrades to weapons and a vehicle, and head off to fight the beast. Along the way, they meet different foes, battling them with their chosen tools. Will they manage to defeat the beast and get home safely?

Writing under several different pen names, Louise Park has written multiple series which appeal particularly to emergent readers. Each title in the Boy vs Beast series is action packed, written in a large font, interspersed with numerous illustrations and diagrams. In Lava Beast, several pages use the graphic novel format. Lovers of computer games will see connections between this story and screen games with strength, attack power and speed listed on cards as the story progresses.

The action is easy to read and comprehend, particularly with the assistance of the accompanying illustrations. A bite sized, action packed adventure, this title and series hold immense appeal to emergent readers.

Themes: Adventure, Action.

Jo Schenkel