Close Modal

The Creature Department

Illustrated by Framestore
Paperback
$16.00 US
5.56"W x 8.21"H x 0.9"D   | 12 oz | 32 per carton
On sale Oct 09, 2014 | 352 Pages | 9781595146847
Age 8-12 years | Grades 3-7
Reading Level: Lexile 700L
"Stunning. . . . a bit like if you took Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Monsters Inc. and shoved them in a TARDIS."—Buzzfeed

It’s a tentacled, inventive, gooey, world in there. . . .

Elliot Von Doppler and his friend Leslie think nothing ever happens in Bickleburgh, except inside the gleaming headquarters of DENKi-3000—the world’s eighth-largest electronics factory.
 
Beneath the glass towers and glittering skywalks, there's a rambling old mansion from which all the company’s amazing inventions spring forth. And no one except Uncle Archie knows what’s behind the second-to-last door at the end of the hall.

Until Elliot and Leslie are invited to take a glimpse inside.

They find stooped, troll-like creatures with jutting jaws and broken teeth. Tiny winged things that sparkle as they fly. And huge, hulking, hairy nonhumans (with horns). It is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

But when Chuck Brickweather threatens to shut down the DENKi-3000 factory if a new product isn’t presented soon, the creatures know they are in danger. And when Uncle Archie vanishes, it’s up to Elliot, Leslie, and every one of the unusual, er, “employees” to create an invention so astonishing it will save the Creature Department.
"A literal Creature feature, with plenty of cinematic and digital spinoff potential." --Kirkus


"The Creature Department is sure to appeal to those middle graders who like a lot of silliness, a bit of rickum rockery, and a giggle of grossness..." -- NY Journal of Books

“The language is fun, the mood slightly macabre, and the imagination explosive." --This is Infamous



“Filled with wonder and populated by strange beings. In other words, it’s pretty frickin’ great.” —Geeksmash



Underneath the eccentric creatures... eerie-yet-fun hidden laboratories, and whirring gizmos and gadgets, the appeal of The Creature Department lies within its more human values: friendship, being true to one’s dreams, standing up for what you think is right, and never giving up. --GeekMom

"The creatures are a giggle-inducing example of an imagination run wild..." --Associated Press
© Machiko Hombu
Robert Paul Weston's first novel was Zorgamazoo, a Booklist top ten debut of 2008. Born in the UK and raised in Canada, Robert Paul Weston lives in Toronto, where he currently teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto. View titles by Robert Paul Weston

About

"Stunning. . . . a bit like if you took Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Monsters Inc. and shoved them in a TARDIS."—Buzzfeed

It’s a tentacled, inventive, gooey, world in there. . . .

Elliot Von Doppler and his friend Leslie think nothing ever happens in Bickleburgh, except inside the gleaming headquarters of DENKi-3000—the world’s eighth-largest electronics factory.
 
Beneath the glass towers and glittering skywalks, there's a rambling old mansion from which all the company’s amazing inventions spring forth. And no one except Uncle Archie knows what’s behind the second-to-last door at the end of the hall.

Until Elliot and Leslie are invited to take a glimpse inside.

They find stooped, troll-like creatures with jutting jaws and broken teeth. Tiny winged things that sparkle as they fly. And huge, hulking, hairy nonhumans (with horns). It is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

But when Chuck Brickweather threatens to shut down the DENKi-3000 factory if a new product isn’t presented soon, the creatures know they are in danger. And when Uncle Archie vanishes, it’s up to Elliot, Leslie, and every one of the unusual, er, “employees” to create an invention so astonishing it will save the Creature Department.

Praise

"A literal Creature feature, with plenty of cinematic and digital spinoff potential." --Kirkus


"The Creature Department is sure to appeal to those middle graders who like a lot of silliness, a bit of rickum rockery, and a giggle of grossness..." -- NY Journal of Books

“The language is fun, the mood slightly macabre, and the imagination explosive." --This is Infamous



“Filled with wonder and populated by strange beings. In other words, it’s pretty frickin’ great.” —Geeksmash



Underneath the eccentric creatures... eerie-yet-fun hidden laboratories, and whirring gizmos and gadgets, the appeal of The Creature Department lies within its more human values: friendship, being true to one’s dreams, standing up for what you think is right, and never giving up. --GeekMom

"The creatures are a giggle-inducing example of an imagination run wild..." --Associated Press

Author

© Machiko Hombu
Robert Paul Weston's first novel was Zorgamazoo, a Booklist top ten debut of 2008. Born in the UK and raised in Canada, Robert Paul Weston lives in Toronto, where he currently teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto. View titles by Robert Paul Weston