Rudy and the Wolf Club / Rudy and the Monster in School by Paul Westmoreland illustrated by George Ermos #Review

 

I am delighted to be featuring two new middle grade stories by Paul Westmoreland. These gothic inspired stories are just right for Hallowe'en!
  Here's how Paul describes them:

“Growing up is a bumpy road, even for a young werewolf, but Rudy always finds a fun and entertaining way to climb out of the deepest pitfall as he finds his way in the world, which invariably leads to unexpected adventures! I began writing Rudy to turn my six-year-old thoroughly reluctant reader into a little boy who’s hungry to binge on books. So many parents have been there, and I wanted to find a way of competing for his attention against screentime and games by inspiring a joy of reading. Rudy brings together all the elements of storytelling that I know young children love, allowing children to explore creativity, friendship with a wicked sense of humour!” – Paul Westmoreland

With boundless energy and an impulsive nature, Rudy is always ready to follow the scent of adventure! And with his loyal pack of friends by his side there's nothing he can't achieve.

When Rudy finds a lost wolf cub at the skatepark, he knows he has to help him. Rudy tries everything he can think of to find the cub's pack, but they're nowhere to be seen, or smelled, and time is running out. Can a howl in the night change the fate of the little cub? How-how-harrooooow! 

There's a new boy in Rudy's school called Frankie, and everyone says he is SCARY. Which is really saying something, as Rudy's class is full of ghosts and ghouls, and his teacher is a vampire. But when Frankie gets upset and runs away, Rudy knows he has to help him. The trouble is, Rudy's wolf senses lead him towards the really spooky castle on the hill. Is Rudy brave enough to follow his nose, and find out the truth behind the monster at school?
 
This is a very good series to bridge the gap between picture books and longer reading for young readers. Both the stories feature the group of friends, Rudy, Femi and Edie who form an unlikely friendship group, being a werewolf, mummy and ghost! Still they are accepting of each other and certainly enjoy their time  playing at the skatepark.

    In Rudy and the Wolf Cub, the theme of family, belonging in the pack and listening to each other lies beneath the story. With Rudy and the Monster at School, Rudy learns a valuable lesson in speaking out againt bullying and not rejecting people based on your initial first thoughts. Being kind and welcoming newcomers to the pack is important. Young readers will be able to relate to the characters, especially Rudy and apply the stories to situations they already know.

    With bold illustrations and accessible short chapters, these will appeal to young readers and offer opportunities for discussion. They are fun stories and I particularly liked the map and character sketches which are at the front of each story. making the story readily recognisable without a long introduction.

                                                                    About the Author

 

A born and bred Londoner, Paul Westmoreland has been a professional writer for over 25 years, creating award-winning adverts across TV, cinema, radio and digital campaigns, including for Honda, Royal Mail, EE, Orange, Carphone Warehouse and more. Now a full-time author, Paul writes from a quiet room tucked away in his home in South London. The launch of the Rudy series marks his foray into children’s fiction.

You can follow Paul here: Twitter

 

About the Illustrator  

George Ermos is an award-winning illustrator with many of the books he has illustrated picking up several accolades. Recently Firesong, illustrated by George, was chosen by Waterstones as one of the Best Children’s Books to Read in 2022. 

You can follow George here: Twitter

Book links: Rudy and the Wolf Cub: Amazon UK 

                   Rudy and the Monster at School : Amazon UK

Thanks to Paul Westmoreland, Oxford University Press and midaspr for copies of the books and a place on the tour.

Check out the rest of the tour!