The Wavering Werewolf

A Monsterrific Tale #4

by David Lubar

When Norman gets nipped on the nose by a wolf, he is transformed into the amazing Wolf-boy, and in between howling at the moon, he must figure out how to become human again. Original.

Genres: Humor, Horror, Childrens, Middle Grade

109 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1997

About the author

David Lubar created a sensation with his debut novel, Hidden Talents, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Thousands of kids and educators across the country have voted Hidden Talents onto over twenty state lists. David is also the author of True Talents, the sequel to Hidden Talents; Flip, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror selection; several short story collections: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies, Invasion of the Road Weenies, The Curse of the Campfire Weenies, The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, and Attack of the Vampire Weenies; and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. Lubar grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, and he has also lived in New Brunswick, Edison and Piscataway, NJ, and Sacramento, CA. Besides writing, he has also worked as a video game programmer and designer. He now lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidl...

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like this series. If I was a kid looking for something more substantial than Goosebumps, I would love it. The adventure and humor are enough, but then there are themes. Basically, it's Jekyll & Hyde for kids, regarding our inner & outer nature, or our good & evil impulses, but then there are also themes about bullies, families, friends, secrets, courage....

(Copied to each.)

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an exciting tale about a young man who experiences turning into a werewolf. Filled with both horror and humor, this story is sure to engage younger readers.

I did not realize that this book is the fourth in a series of tales featuring normal people becoming monsters. I may have to start with the first book to see if there's any background info I've missed.

interesting quotes:

"As much as I love great books, sometimes there's nothing like a good comic to get your mind settled. " (p. 51)

"He was wrapped in strangeness, almost as if it were a layer of bandages he could never remove. " (p. 55)

"The next time I felt like complaining about some tiny problem or minor annoyance, I knew I would think of him - I would see him in my mind and be content with my own situation." (p. 55)

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wavering Werewolf by David Lubar - Fantasy/Humor – I enjoyed reading from a boy’s perspective as he slowly changed his way of thinking, feeling, physically changing and reacting to things in different ways, and acting and turned into a werewolf. Terrific. I love how David wrote about this character, Norman, who loves math whether it is in math class or simply thinking and playing with numbers, wonderful. How Norman realized that he wasn’t wearing his glasses for over half a day was brilliant… Too bad that library books are useless for helping you figure out if you’re a werewolf but hooray for a kid who knows how to go, find his resources, and research! Now, there is one portion of the book that threw me, but that was because this is a book in the middle of a series I haven’t read before… so, I accept that it isn’t completely a stand-alone book. I do love when authors sneak in the “what could possibly go wrong?” question into their books, sly wink to the reader. Additionally, if you want a good chuckle, you should simply flip through the book and look at the title headings, from “tents moments” to “rabbit transit”, David pulls out the humorous stops all the way through the book! I was amused by this line: “Wolves always bring down their prey by the nose.” HAH! I’d partner this book with The Monster Ring by Bruce Coville, perfect partnership I think! So, I’m looking forward to adding this series to my library, I have many fans of Goosebumps, David Lubar’s Weenie series, and other horror/humor books that will fall for this book quickly!

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Norman was just an everyday kid. That is, until he happened to get bitten by a wolf during a school science field trip through a forest. Suddenly, Norman is getting weird wolf attributes, like his nails are growing into claw-like things, and he doesn’t need his glasses anymore. He realizes he is becoming a wolf – a WEREWOLF! Fortunately, a man on the streets gives him an amulet that can turn him back to normal. The amulet, though, will only work on a night with a full moon. But the thing is, Norman kind of likes being a werewolf. Will he choose to be plain Norman again?

I seem to be finding a lot of “monster” books (not usually the type of book I pick up) lately that I really enjoy. I thought this was a great book! It isn’t a typical “monster” book (no blood, guts or gore). It’s more about a kid’s struggle to figure out who (or what ;) ) he wants to be. I love how Mr. Lubar writes humor into the story. He definitely knows how to keep a reader interested in his book. Norman is a cool character that the reader cares about. I like how he doesn’t realize he’s a werewolf at first – nice touch. There were a few black and white illustrations scattered throughout the book that were a nice addition to the story.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WAVERING WEREWOLF is the latest book in David Lubar's Monsterrific Tales series. I haven't read the previous books, but the premise is simple. In each book a kid is accidentally turned into a monster and must choose whether to remain a monster or turn back into a human. The star of THE WAVERING WEREWOLF is Norman, a geeky kid who gets bitten while wandering in the woods.

Those who are familiar with Lubar's books know to expect humor. My biggest laughs came from Norman's strategy to get people to ignore him: start going into detail about random facts. Don't expect too much complexity, however. This series is aimed at the Bailey School Kids crowd. It kind of reminded me of some of the old Goosebumps books, although the writing was better. I can see this series and the Lovecraft Middle School books appealing to the same kids.

If you've got a young reader in your life who likes monsters, THE WAVERING WEREWOLF is a good choice. It plays with some classic tropes in a way that's kid friendly but not patronizing. I'm definitely going to pass this one on to my niece. (She's reading! On her own! It is so cool.)

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mostly by-the-numbers middle grade monster novel. Boy goes on field trip in the woods, boy gets temporarily separated from his class, boy gets bit by a werewolf, boy realizes he is becoming a werewolf, boy chooses not to be a werewolf. The plot moved quick and the vocabulary was great and I imagine it would be a stretch for this level of reader in a good way. My gripe on this is that we don't get to know Norman enough, know his feelings, so that we as readers can identify with him. Yes, we get that he's smart, analytic, focused on grades and school, etc, but how does he really feel?

[Alex Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a kid who was just going on afield trip in the forest and he got separated from the rest of his class and got bit on the nose. He was due to turn to a werewolf and luckily he turned to a werewolf before full moon and found the other werewolf and talked to him and he had a choice to be a werewolf or be a kid.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect addition to our primary school library's collection: werewolf and other monster stories for younger (G3/4) readers. Quite funny while a bit spooky too, in the typical David Lubar style (author of the Weenies stories). The slim volume and accompanying illustrations make it a quick and inviting read for many. I will definitely order the other books in the series.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

12/05/2013
I really enjoyed the third book in the series, so I look forward to reading this one, too. I hope it has more of the great illustrations!

03/02/2015
Note: I received a hardcover copy from the publisher.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed this for SLJ.

[Bryce Witte · Rating 2 out of 5]

A classic story told in a rather simple way.