A frighteningly fun read! By the end of the first chapter I was so ready to move to Samhain and completely immerse myself in the city's magical Halloween vibes and mingle with the quirky residents.

This book was so much fun and so perfect for Halloween (or any time of the year, if you love Halloween). I hope that this book eventually becomes a series, because oh...my....god I want so much more of this!

Fun. Festive. Fantastic.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Aladdin for this advanced reader's copy. This book was absolutely adorable!! Caleb just moved to the Halloween-obsessed town, Samhain. The kids who live here wear costumes EVERY SINGLE DAY. City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup due to the mayor's vampirism? Soon, Caleb is an outcast for not being on board with all the costumes like his other 6th grade classmates. He finally finds a friend with Tai as things are getting even weirder around school and town. Is their teacher a REAL werewolf?! Is the mayor a REAL vampire?! There are REAL witches?! Samhain is definitely stranger than anyone knows, and Caleb and Tai are going to save the town, whether they want to be saved... or not. And that ending.... Is there going to be another book????

Review to be added in late July as part of TBR and Beyond Book Tours!
Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to be a part of this tour!

Fantasy and Halloween vibes in a middle grade novel? Yes, please. What a cozy, fun read. One of my favorite things about these types of stories is how much emotion and heart is packed into them--how wholesome they are and how good they make one feel at the end of the day thanks to the characters' dynamics. This one is no exception. Highly worth the read.

This book was absolutely so fun and special and I loved it! Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson that want some creepiness added. It was spooky and mysterious but also so funny and charming!

Not long after his father dies, 12-year-old Caleb’s mother moves them to her hometown of Samhain, Wisconsin, a place where every season is spooky season and every day is Halloween. Caleb isn’t happy about leaving his home where all of his memories with his father were made and he’s not thrilled about being the new kid and the target of a bully. What’s more, he becomes convinced that there’s something truly sinister hiding behind the costumes, plastic fangs, and cotton spider webbing. Luckily, Caleb finds a friend in Tai, who quickly becomes his accomplice in his plans to uncover the town’s dark secrets and convince his mother to move them back home. Despite the creepy setup and setting, the story offers plenty of comedic relief with both funny and punny moments involving Caleb’s attempts at going along with the town's unofficial-official daily dress code of Halloween costumes as well as his humorous, and at times self-deprecating, internalizations. And while he is often a very earnest character, Caleb never takes himself too seriously. He also has a huge heart, which Tai seems to see in him from the start. And that’s actually how I would describe the story as a whole as well. It may be dressed up to scare, but beneath the surface, there’s a wealth of heart and humor to be found in the explorations of love and loss, friendship and family, and learning to trust yourself.

A Bite Above the Rest is a delightfully spooky middle grade novel! Caleb, a California transplant, is not happy to have moved with his mom to a small Wisconsin town with a kitschy love of Halloween. Samhain draws tourists with its year-round celebration, daily costumes, and spooky local businesses. Everyone but Caleb seems to love Halloween. Though he does make a friend, quirky and talkative Tai, he still wishes he could go back to L.A. Then he and Tai discover that the monstrous costumes of some Samhain citizens may not be costumes at all. They launch an investigation to determine if there are actual monsters in town. Though Caleb's initial goal is finding a justification for his mother to decide they should move back to L.A., Samhain begins to grow on him. But if there are actual monsters, how could he stay?

Any kid that likes spooky stuff will adore this book, hands down. But, as Caleb experiences grief over the loss of a parent, fear of the unknown, and struggles fitting in, A Bite Above the Rest has themes that anyone could empathize with and relate to, whether or not they're interested in vampires or werewolves (or seriously scary mermen!). It's also just a whole lot of fun, stuffed with punny costumes, laugh-out-loud analogies, and wild hijinks. I really think kids are going to adore this one.

P.S. It better get a sequel!

This is going to be a hit with kids especially in the fall. Fun idea and great characters. It’s a funny story with great lessons intertwined.

The perfect fall read for back to school season! A spooky and hilarious ride through Halloween town as a shy boy and his confident bestie investigate whether there is more to the holiday kitsch! I would love to live somewhere where everyone dressed up and the stores are themed with holiday puns. Not so much for 6th grader Caleb. After the death of his father, Mom moves them back to her home town for a fresh start. New school, new ghoul, new kid fear manifesting in plain site? Everyone can tell he is the new kid because Caleb is the only one not wearing a costume and the only one shrieking in fright at the kids who are. Luckily he teams up with Tai who has lived her entire life in Samhain to find where math class is and embark on a social studies project to learn how those puny businesses in town are approved. Of course they can only go to townhall at night as it operates on vampire hours. When they press the mayor on why Tai's family's application for an amulet and defensive magic shop was denied, the response is more bootastic than bureaucratic and sets them off to solve the mystery of whether Samhain is just a tourist trap or if something more sinister is afoot. I loved this bestie duo, both how they follow the clues and how they support each other. The writing is funny and fresh, and Caleb has a great character arc as he finds his way to bravery when it means standing up to protect his mom, Tai, and the other people in town. Highly recommend!!!

I loved everything about A BITE ABOVE THE REST! Not only was the level of spookiness perfect for the middle grade audience, but it was also hilariously funny. Themes of friendship and grief were also woven seamlessly throughout the story. I cannot wait for kids to discover this book!