On one hand, The Great Hamster Massacre is a funny, quirky, and unique children's mystery, about a girl's naïve attempts to figure out what "really" happened to her pets; at the same time, the adult subtext and humor, which should (hopefully) pass way over most kids' heads, will keep grown up bedtime story readers awake--and laughing--well after the kids are asleep. CAUTION: The title is not a euphemism, nor is it figurative; it does not refer to a dream, an exaggeration, or any other "imaginary" point-of-view that American children's books use to step around dealing with death. With gut-busting British humor, Katie Davies bluntly confronts some of the grimmer realities of having pets, and certain gruesome aspects of animal behavior that may be difficult for young humans to understand. Not for coddled or overly sensitive children!

Recommended by Mr. Steve