"Imagination is the highest kite that one can fly," Lauren Bacall once said.  Not only is English author/illustrator Alan Snow flying high in his book Here Be Monsters (Atheneum, 2005) but he's definitely having fun and giving the reader a good time as well.  The illustrated middle grade novel has a whole cast of interesting characters that live in the city of Ratbridge.  We get to meet most of them through a boy named Arthur, who came above ground to get food for himself and his grandfather.  Arthur is captured by Snatcher and the Hunt, while they're out hunting cheeses.  Yes, you heard right.  Not only will you meet cheeses, but Mr. Nibble, some friendly boxtrolls, a cabbage head or two, some fresh water sea cows, the rabbit women, and the rats and pirates from the Ratbridge Nautical Laundry.

Learn more at http://www.here-be-monsters.com/

"The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do." -Thomas Jefferson

Authors of Novels in Verse especially need this talent.  But what I found so amazing in Seeing Emily (Amulet Books, 2005) by Joyce Lee Wong was how alive her verse was.  She put me right in the scenes, whether they were physical scenes or only what was going on in Emily's mind.  This is a definite good read!

Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a website for the above YA author.

Other Novels in Verse you might want to check out are:  Loose Threads (2002), On Pointe (2004), and Hold Me Tight (2005), all by Lorie Ann Grover.  They middle grade novels all were published by Margaret K. McElderry.  See Lorie Ann's website  http://www.lorieanngrover.com/ to find out more about these great books.