Strong language includes one instance each of "damned" and "hell," and some potty talk involving fossilized dinosaur "turd" and "poo." Both heroes are good role models, and dark-skinned girls with curly hair will especially enjoy seeing a strong heroine who looks like them. Herbie is a foundling so has never had a family, and Violet's parents are missing and presumed dead. The story explores themes of loss, of both people and things. A few illustrations show scary fantasy creatures, and one shows a man being held by giant tentacles. Blood is mentioned a few times but not described in detail, the villain punches a child in the face, shoots harpoons at a child and a fantasy creature, and throws a cat into a shelf and knocks it out. There's lots of suspense and scariness from heroes in danger from both real-world and fantasy creatures. Parents need to know that Thomas Taylor's Malamander: Legends of Eerie-on-Sea, Book 1 is the first book in a planned fantasy series aimed at middle-grade readers.
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