HodgePodge — Dan Mazur

A collection of stories for kids featuring monsters, pirates, a sea serpent, and creatures from the Ice Age. There are several pop culture references scattered throughout the book as well as a few valuable lessons about life (accepting one's flaws, dealing with problems rather than running from them, being kind to others, and more). Some of the stories are semi-autobiographical as the characters deal with issues that I have encountered as a kid and even as an adult.