Attack of the Giant Octopus — Dan Greenburg

Run, Shluffmuffins, run!

Have you ever wondered what a human kid looks like when genetically crossed with evil giant ant larvae? (Hint: It ain't pretty.) Or perhaps you've pondered how a four-hundred-pound killer octopus might best attack its prey? If you've answered yes to either of these questions, you're in luck.

This new spine-tingling tale in the Secrets of Dripping Fang series finds Cheyenne Shluffmuffin -- under hypnosis, of course -- preparing to give etiquette lessons to a class of rowdy human/ant mutants. (Hey, even freaks of nature need to learn to mind their manners.) Meanwhile, her twin, Wally, is being forced to, urn, get to know our killer-octopus pal a little better.

Where is Vampire Dad during all this, you ask? Preoccupied with a difficult job search. Apparently, finding work as an orthodontist when you have long fanged teeth and huge black wings isn't so easy these days. Go figure.