Review of "Story Monsters Ink Issue 10, 2024" by Story Monsters LLC

Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)

The fun just doesn't stop with Story Monsters LLC!

Story Monsters has branched out in so many magnificent, creative ways, and their magazine--Story Monsters Ink—may be their most promising and fruitful branch yet!

We recently reviewed the February 2025 installment of this magazine. It featured some heavy-hitters in children's books like David Shannon and Megan McDonald (and many other notable contributors).

Well, Story Monsters Ink Issue 10, 2024 features a HUGE celebrity of its own: Lance Bass from NSYNC! Gosh, we have our memories of NSYNC. Don't you? "It's Gonna Be Me" is still so iconic that it gets played on radio stations to this day and is always a meme near the end of April/beginning of May. It's ironic that pretty much two-decades later, songs like "Digital Get Down" have a whole new meaning and context. Can you imagine we had to be like Bill Clinton and use landlines and hear that screeching sound (featured in the song) when we tried to gain internet access?

While the digital and media landscapes have changed, memories and legacies tend to last a long while longer than the technologies themselves. Lance Bass seems to want to leave a lasting legacy for his own children and future generations, having authored a children's book of his own titled The Trick or Treat on Scary Street!

Bass's book taps into his own cherished Halloween memories from childhood, blending nostalgia with fresh, spooky adventures that kids today can enjoy. Lance shares that the main character is modeled after his own son, Alexander, making this story a deeply personal project. This is especially touching considering that Bass says that he and his main characters would be "best friends" if the character were real. Another cool bit of trivia that Bass shares is that his twins were born on October 13th, right in the middle of Halloween season! We couldn't help but sense the love and passion he shares for his kids through this book. It's almost like a love letter to them.

Illustrated by Roland Garrigue, the book captures that playful yet spooky vibe that resonates so well with kids and parents alike. Not gonna lie, we kinda want to check it out and read it!

While highlighting the book, this book also shows how personable and charismatic Bass still is. He talks a lot about being a father and how it inspires him. One of our favorite parts of his section is how he talks about how his kids were obsessed with "Bye Bye Bye" so he had to play his own song over and over again for them in the car. How funny is that?

Maybe that should be a consideration for our "Funny, Strange, Bizarre" Special Award.

Every parent who lived through the Frozen craze knows that every daughter wanted to hear "Let It Go" over and over again. Bass comes across as really relatable in that regard.

It's also really interesting reading about Bass's childhood and how it inspired him to love books (enough to want to write one himself). He talks about how he read a lot of books as a kid and especially loved the Goosebumps series and Where the Wild Things Are. Gosh, he really is from our generation!

It's so nice to read about a nostalgic figure like him still kicking, living, and dreaming. That says a lot for the rest of us. As long as we still have breath in our lungs, there's still so much we can do and accomplish.

This book also features Pulitzer Prize winner Jules Feiffer!

Feiffer won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for editorial cartooning. In 2024, he released his first ever graphic novel, Amazing Grapes, via HarperCollins. Gosh, does that mean we finally have a Pulitzer Prize winner and a HarperCollins-published author in our contests (technically)? We've have Newberry Honor winners and folks from other major publishers. It seems about time.

Anyway, Feiffer's Amazing Grapes is a whimsical, thought-provoking journey that blends his signature wit with poignant family themes. The story explores a family’s adventures in a new universe after a period of upheaval, weaving together personal reflection, humor, and Feiffer’s decades of storytelling mastery. At over ninety years old, Feiffer proves that creativity truly has no age limit.

Speaking of that... one of our favorite parts of Feiffer's section is when he talked about all the things he's lived through:

“I think all of us spend our lives, in one way or another,
settling scores with our childhood—positively or negatively.
Surrendering, blending in, melding in with it, our childhood
never leaves us. I was born in January 1929. I lived through
the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War,
McCarthyism, and I saw the country change.”

Can you imagine being him and seeing/experiencing all of these things and all of these changes?

This is a guy who started drawing cartoons when he was three! Look at how far he's come!

Three-time Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat is in here as well! Our favorite moment from her entire section is when she talks about the things that are truly rewarding for her. She says:

"‘The awards from adult judges mean so much—especially the ones from librarians like the Newbery Honor and the Sibert Honor. But there is no better accolade than having kids tell you things like, “Your book was the first one I read all by myself,” or, “I stayed up all night reading your book and I don’t even like to read.” Truly, those are the most rewarding moments for me…’"

It’s clear that for Soontornvat, the real magic isn’t just in earning critical acclaim—it’s in knowing her stories are helping kids fall in love with reading. That kind of impact is exactly what makes children’s literature so special, and it’s easy to see why she’s become one of the most beloved voices in the genre today.

Soontornvat also demonstrates how children's literature can be used to educate, encourage, and inspire young people to get involved as citizens of a democratic republic. Specifically, her book Leo’s First Vote follows a young boy as he accompanies his father—a newly naturalized U.S. citizen—to the polls for the very first time. Through their journey, Soontornvat gently introduces children to the importance of voting and civic participation, showing that every voice truly matters. Her story not only makes the concept of elections accessible and uplifting for young readers, but also plants the seeds for future engagement and a lifelong appreciation of democracy.

It's strange that of all the esteemed authors featured in this magazine, the one who stood out to us the most was Jennifer Killick out of the UK. Why? Well, because she's bizarre, but in a super cool way!

She's kinda like Lady Gaga, in a sense. Weird but cool.

Killick, the middle-grade author of the Dread Wood and Crater Lake books, has a fascination with the macabre. Her books are relatively darker, more ominous, and more mysterious than most you'd find for that age group. But, hey, Goosebumps was pretty dark too—and look how that went!

Killick makes a great point: when kids read for fun—without thinking about it as a chore or a job—they're setting themselves up for a lifetime of success! They have the advantage of literacy.

In a sense, she aims to give children the advantages that she didn't have, saying:

"There weren’t many reading options when I was a child—just the usual Blyton, Dahl, etc. I’d love to have grown up with the huge variety of stories young readers have now. I’m more influenced by current writers and stories than I am by any from my childhood."

She is paving a new path forward without looking back.

One of the things she said that really got our attentions and made us chuckle was when she talked about her sewing hobby, saying that she even sewed a 59-foot tapeworm and named him Roger!

That's... something that most people have probably never even thought of doing.

Seth Fishman is in here as well! Fishman brings science, humor, and imagination together like few others in children’s literature. In this issue, he’s featured for his latest picture book, Brandon and the Totally Troublesome Time Machine—a story that spins a wild adventure out of time travel, homework woes, and what happens when you try to take shortcuts instead of facing challenges head-on.

Essentially, from what we understand, his main character (Brandon) keeps going back or forward in time and playing pranks on his unsuspecting former/future selves! How hilarious!

Fishman, an award-winning author and literary agent, is celebrated for making big, sometimes intimidating concepts like astronomy, energy, or in this case, the consequences of your choices, both accessible and wildly entertaining for young readers. He shares that his writing process is a mix of inspiration, bursts of drafting, and lots of revision, all rooted in a deep love for storytelling and helping kids see the world in new ways.

What stands out most in Fishman’s approach is his belief in learning from mistakes and turning them into teachable moments. He wants kids to know it’s okay to make errors and that some of the best learning happens when things go a little sideways. In his own words, he says, “Make mistakes. Then learn from them.”

Through humor, inventive storylines, and playful illustrations, Seth Fishman shows how curiosity and creativity can lead to some pretty amazing adventures—both on the page and in life.

Something else we really liked about his section is how he talked about the process of creating his books. He talks about how he has his own step-by-step routine he goes through before putting anything to page.

Stacy Lynn Carroll is another standout in this issue, bringing warmth, humor, and a heartfelt message about kindness with her new picture book, The Yowlers. Already an accomplished author of young adult and adult novels, Stacy turns her talents to a story for the whole family to enjoy, and it couldn’t be more timely.

The Yowlers centers around a family who’s always in a bad mood until their new neighbors, the Nicelys, move in and start spreading positivity. What starts as a simple act of neighborly kindness soon transforms even the grumpiest “yowlers” in town, showing that happiness can be just as contagious as a bad attitude.

Stacy shares how the inspiration for this book came from her own experiences at home. She wanted to teach her kids about the power of attitude and kindness in a way that would be fun and relatable. The result is a story that encourages readers of all ages to pause and ask themselves, “Are you a Yowler or a Nicely?” It’s a gentle nudge to notice those around us, offer help, and accept kindness in return.
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What makes Stacy’s section shine is her honesty about the ups and downs of writing and publishing, especially as a busy mom of five. She talks about dedicating just a few hours a week to writing, balancing family, and never giving up despite setbacks and rejection. Her determination and positive outlook serve as an inspiration for anyone chasing a creative dream.

With whimsical illustrations by Molly Ruttan and a message that feels more important than ever, The Yowlers is a delightful reminder that even the smallest acts of kindness can spark big changes in our homes and communities.

Something we noticed is that the Yowlers are actually quite frightening looking at times, but become very human and even cute at other times. This seems to fit Carroll's goal of showing how negative emotions like anger and rage are natural parts of being human, but that we all have the ability to compromise, be kind, and be loving as well.

Hannah Chung is highlighted in the “Book Bug” section of this issue, and it’s immediately clear why she’s an exciting voice in the world of children’s literature and illustration. Hannah is both an author and illustrator, bringing a unique creative perspective to every project she touches.

In her feature, Hannah shares her journey as a creator, from her childhood love of drawing and reading to her current career in publishing. She discusses how stories and art helped her make sense of the world around her, and how that passion eventually turned into a full-time pursuit. What stands out is her commitment to storytelling that not only entertains but also comforts and uplifts young readers.

Hannah’s work often explores themes of family, cultural heritage, and finding joy in small, everyday moments. Her illustrations are described as warm, expressive, and full of gentle whimsy—qualities that invite children to linger on each page and find new details every time they read. She credits her family and her Korean heritage as a source of inspiration, often weaving those influences into her stories and artwork.

What we really appreciate about Hannah’s section is her honesty about the challenges of creative life. She talks about overcoming doubts, staying true to her vision, and the importance of community—whether it’s family, friends, or fellow artists. Hannah encourages aspiring creators not to give up, even when the path seems uncertain, and to remember that their unique voices matter.

Through both her art and words, Hannah Chung shows just how powerful and nurturing children’s literature can be. Her presence in this issue is a wonderful example of how young creators are shaping the future of storytelling, one heartfelt picture at a time.

This magazine also features great sections by talented contributors like Emma Hunsinger, Judy Newman, and Conrad J. Storad, whose “Conrad’s Classroom” column invites kids to explore the fascinating world of insects and science. The section about hornets actually taught us a thing or two! Like, did you know that only the queen hornets are set up to survive the winter? Everything else needs to start from scratch every year?

With engaging articles, author interviews, and interactive features, each section brings something special to the table—making this issue of Story Monsters Ink a true celebration of creativity, learning, and the joy of reading.

This magazine also highlights a lot of really cool children's books which are more than ads or summaries. They're more like reviews. Apparently, you can apply to have your book reviewed and/or featured in the magazine! How cool is that?

There's a lot of really cool stuff in here.

Check it out here!