HOWL! A Werewolf Named Oliver James by Nicholas John Frith

Dinner was at six o'clock sharp.

Oliver James has his marching orders. As soon as band practice is done, he is supposed to go to the bus stop with his band buddies and take the first bus home for dinner.

The kids cluster with their instrument cases to wait at the corner in the purple twilight, just as a full moon rises.

But suddenly something strange happens. Leaving their instruments behind...

...All his friends ran off before the bus arrived.

And then the bus speeds right by the stop, the passengers staring out the windows--all wearing horrified expressions on their faces.

What's going on? Oliver wonders. Ah, heck! And now it begins to rain. How is he supposed to get home on time? A man walks up to the bus stop and Oliver inquires when the next bus is due.

"HELP! A WEREWOLF!" The man screams and runs away.

"WHERE? Oliver asks, looking all around.

Then Oliver James spots his reflection in a rain puddle. HE is the werewolf. But ... what? HOW?

But Oliver realizes that being a werewolf has some awesome possibilities. He can outrun a train. He can leap gas stations in a single bound. He can pick up delivery trucks with one hand. Then he spots his friend Sam! Boy, has he some news for him!

GUESS WHAT?

Oliver shows off his howl. OWWW-OOWOOO! Sam is out of sight instantly, and Oliver realizes he can clear the street with a single howl!

He even had a SUPER-SENSE OF SMELL!

A whiff of the Thai restaurant down the street reminds Oliver that he is about to be late for dinner. Uh-oh.

But wait! He's got extra-super speed!

Oliver James has just one worry. How is he going to explain his sudden transformation to his parents?

There's yet another surprise in store for young readers, in Nicholas Oliver James' clever A Werewolf Named Oliver James (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018), a charming little fantasy just right for the runup to October's semi-scary stories. Frith's tale is paced perfectly, with every page turn a new revelation, and his stylized illustrations done in purples and browns sets the mood for a bit of Halloween fun, just right for a howlin' good read-aloud.