The Arlie Jacobs books by Emily Ecton
If you like M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales, then you'll like Emily Ecton's books as well. In the first book, Boots and Pieces, readers meet middle school student Arlie Jacobs, her best friend Ty (who is a boy but definitely not her boyfriend), her older sister Tina (who loves fashionable clothes as much as Arlie doesn't), her parents, and her family's Chihuahua, Mr. Boots (who gets dressed up in doll clothes by Tina and her mom).
When a local girl mysteriously disappears, the adults in town try to reinforce safety measures for the kids. Then more teens disappear, and some adults act like it's no big deal, like they just ran away. Arlie and Ty check out the swamp and discover a large weird-looking creature that dissolves people and other animals just by touching them.
This series will be appreciated by those who like The Middleman, the aforementioned M.T. Anderson books, or sillier tongue-in-cheek episodes of Doctor Who. Arlie has a snark to her, but it doesn't come across as biting or mean - it's simply part of her personality, and she will sometimes act first and think later. Even with its gigantic swamp creature, the book is more funny than scary, and that's how it's intended. Just wait 'til you get to the climax and see which sassy person saves the day!
There are three books in the series:
- Boots and Pieces
- The Curse of Cuddles McGee
- Night of the Living Lawn Ornaments
Read my interview with Emily Ecton.
Also check out my Funny Fiction for Kids booklist.