The Bully Monster — Anita Valle

The kids at school call him "Monster." Twelve-year-old Mo is the school bully - and darn proud of it. That's before he finds himself homeless and forced to move to the only place available: a building called Monster Apartments. At first it's all cool. Giant apartment, creepy forest scenery, nice girl across the street. Then Mo meets the tenants and the shock hits harder than a drunken landlord: real monsters, every one. Cyclops, dragon, fairies, werewolf - and a Minotaur maniac with a taste for tormenting Mo. Before you can spit, Mo goes from bully to bullied. The Minotaur knocks out everything Mo's got - his confidence, his safety, his friendship with the new girl. Like it or not, Mo's got to face it that two monsters have to be stopped here: the bully in the building, and the bully that he is. Monster Apartments is a coming-of-age novel in which the bully learns firsthand just how "monstrous" his bullying really is. Add a cast of unconventional monsters (such as the agoraphobic dragon and the cyclops with his own medical practice) and Monster Apartments is a fun tale for middle-grade readers. Recommended for ages 9-12.