Ever since Wally Shluffmuffin accidentally killed Ont Dagmar Mandible and several Ont babies he has been a marked man, errr...boy. The Onts have hired a hit man called the Jackal (a real jackal, of course) to kill Wally. The Jackal failed once, but he has a seemingly fail-proof plan - he will trick Wally into wrestling a giant octopus. Wally's twin sister Cheyenne has her own set of problems - she has been hypnotized by the Onts and is being forced to teach etiquette lessons to a class of mutant human/Ont children. Their Vampire Dad has his own worries - it seems that no one is willing to hire a man with wings and sharp teeth.

"Attack of the Giant Octopus", book six in Dan Greenburg's delightful "Secrets of Dripping Fang" series, is a lot of fun. Aimed at ages 7 - 12, everything in the book is over the top and very funny. One of the funniest bits in the book is how everyone keeps mangling the Shluffmuffin's last name. Other funny bits include Wally and Cheyenne attending a school filled with rather unusual children; Vampire Dad's job interviews; Edgar Spydelle's pouting over the fact that the children want to live with their vampire father instead of him; and Cheyenne's teaching the human/Ont children. Even Wally's encounter with the octopus is very funny (a little scary, but mostly funny). There are some interesting facts about the octopus woven into the story, so children will learn while reading. Pay close attention to the chapter titles and illustrations as they also add to the humor.

"Attack of the Giant Octopus" is fun for young and old alike. ( )

Good for probably grades 3 and up.