Hello, friends! Our book today is Buffy The Vampire Slayer, based on the series created by Joss Whedon, written by Jason Rekulak, and illustrated by Kim Smith.

Buffy is a slayer – a brave and tough defender against the forces of darkness. But she recalls a time when even she felt afraid. When she was only eight, she was terrified of her closet: creaking and bumping noises would sound from behind the door nightly. Buffy’s friends, Xander and Willow, offer to help her face her fear with a sleepover. Yet despite their fun, none of them can bring themselves to open the spooky door. The kids then turn to their school librarian, Giles, who explains that Buffy will be a great warrior someday, but that she already has greatness within her. He recommends that she find her courage and face her fears – it may even make the monsters think twice about messing with her. Buffy, Xander, and Willow have another sleepover, and when the creepy noises begin again, Buffy steels herself. Will she have the courage to open the door and face what’s inside?

A delightfully nerdy ode to the original show in kid-friendly form. While this tale is by no means canon – fans of the show will know that the Scoobies didn’t meet until high school – this classic tale of facing one’s fears is given a delightfully subversive (and very Buffy-style) twist. Buffy and company find that there’s nothing to be scared of; oh, there’s monsters a-plenty (in a wonderfully fan-service spread featuring some of the show’s favorite villains), but they aren’t as scary as they seem. And while some diehard Whedonites may balk at monsters like The Gentlemen or Sweet happily playing with the kids at the end, everyone will have a laugh at Buffy’s mom Joyce’s reaction to a bedroom full of partying demons. The length was fine, and JJ enjoyed the fantastic cartoon-style illustrations. A fun adventure for little bookworms, and a delightful trip down memory lane for adult fans – Baby Bookworm approved!