Page 6 January 26, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD The Curse of the Were-Hyena Reviewed by Katrena Woodson, Teen and Young Reader Librarian, El Segundo Public Library. I have chosen to review two mysteries for this week’s book review. The first is by Bruce Hale and is titled The Curse of the Were-Hyena. This is the first volume in the Monstertown Mystery series. The book is set in a seemingly normal town called Monterrosa. But when Mr. Chu--a popular teacher--suddenly develops a mean streak, superfast reflexes and a strange giggle, Carlos and Benny believe that something is not right. These boys head to their local comic book store in order to figure out what is wrong with Mr. Chu. They decide that the only explanation is that Mr. Chu will become a were-hyena unless they can break the curse by the next full moon. Hale does an excellent job of providing readers with a diverse cast of characters as well as an exciting and compelling plotline. He throws in a little bit of everything, from a corpse for a bit of horror to bathroom jokes for humor. The story moves along at the perfect pace and is full of narrow escapes and plot twists galore. The series is off to a promising start and leaves readers with a teaser of the next episode, which will hopefully be filled with the same mix of chills and laughter. This mystery is a bit of lighthearted horror perfect for readers ages eight to 10. The second mystery is called Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall. This is aimed at readers eight to 11 years old. The main character Howard Wallace is 12 years old and obsessed with hard-boiled detectives like Sam Spade--so much so that he runs his own detective agency. Taking his work very seriously, he wears a brown bathrobe since he can’t get his hands on a real trench coat and has offices both at home and at school. He is good at solving case--but when a highprofile case lands in his lap, he reluctantly takes on a junior partner, Ivy Mason. The case involves the stolen student council checkbook and the suspects list seems to be endless. This is Lyall’s debut novel and he does not Entertainment disappoint. This middle school mystery offers believable characters and realistic detective work that will keep other kid P.I.s turning the pages. I would not be surprised to see Howard and Ivy sleuthing again in several sequels in the future. The El Segundo Public Library offers access to its collection of titles in a variety of formats, including traditional hardback, e-books and books on CD. To check out The Curse of the Were-Hyena by Bruce Hale and Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall, or any other title on your to-read list, please visit the library to apply for your library card, or please contact the reference staff for further assistance. • Check It Out Film Review Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall. The Curse of the Were-Hyena by Bruce Hale. By Bruce Hale and Howard Wallace, P.I. By Casey Lyall Nine Films from Sundance Alumni to Watch Now By H. Nelson Tracey for www.cinemacy.com Cinemacy is excited to be returning to Park City, Utah to cover the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, kicking off a new year in cinema. We realize that many of the movies seen here won’t have a release date until later in the year, so we compiled a list of movies related to the buzzworthy films that will be forthcoming. This list represents some of the past work from the directors you will be hearing about this year… the ones we recommend that you watch while you wait. Next week, we will be bringing you all the festival highlights and most importantly our favorites from Sundance! An Inconvenient Truth–It’s a rarity for an independent film, especially a documentary, to get a sequel, but this year we have Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power playing as the festival’s opening night film. If this doesn’t show the mass urgency on the current worldwide environmental crisis, then I don’t know what does. If you haven’t seen it already, be sure to check out the original Academy Award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. An Inconvenient Truth is available to rent on Amazon. The One I Love–Three years ago, Charlie McDowell’s directorial debut was a provocative and standout entry into the Sundance dramatic competition. It represented a storyteller who could combine higher-level concepts with indie aesthetics and not miss a beat. His second film, The Discovery, starring Jason Segel and Rooney Mara, is screening in the premieres section and is set to be released on Netflix in March. The One I Love is available to stream on Amazon. Green Room and Blue Ruin–Director (L-R) Hello, My Name is Doris (Roadside Attractions), Green Room (A24), An Inconvenient Truth (Participant Media), Obvious Child (A24). Jeremy Saulnier is an indie favorite with two impressive back-to-back thrillers premiering at Sundance--Blue Ruin and Green Room. Each film stars one of Saulnier’s childhood friends, Macon Blair, who is excitingly stepping behind the camera to direct the crime/thriller I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. We love his work as an actor and he’s an essential new voice for independent cinema, so here’s hoping he can continue to find success at the helm. Green Room and Blue Ruin are available to stream on Amazon. Obvious Child–A Sundance alumnus who forged new ground by realistically and comedically depicting abortion in cinema (notably from a female perspective), director Gillian Robespierre is back this year with Landline and I wouldn’t be surprised if her new film feels as fresh and original as her last. Obvious Child is available to stream on Amazon. Cartel Land–An absolutely explosive vérité documentary, border saga Cartel Land established Matthew Heineman as an essential new voice in nonfiction film. He’s back at Sundance with City of Ghosts, which promises to similarly transport us to a dangerous part of the world we’d otherwise know little about. Cartel Land is available to stream on Netflix. Pariah–Six years ago, Dee Rees’ breakout debut Pariah was a sensation at Sundance and continues to find new audiences as a rare portrayal of queer youth. Rees has gone on to direct for TV and segments of anthologies, but her second feature has yet to come out until now. Mudbound is in the premieres section of the festival and looks to have plenty to offer. Before that one makes it to your home, catch the one that got her career off the ground. Pariah is available to stream on Netflix. Hello, My Name Is Doris–Last year, this indie feature starring Sally Field was one of the few sleeper hits of the limited releases--enough that Field is a dark horse Oscar contender for her comedic role. Director Michael Showalter, best known as a writer for Wet Hot American Summer, is screening his highly anticipated film The Big Sick in the premieres category. Hello My Name Is Doris is available to rent on Amazon. I’ll See You in My Dreams–A Sundance alum returning to the screen is Brett Haley, whose previous film I’ll See You in My Dreams debuted very quietly at the festival in 2015 but went on to become a theatrical hit due to its representation of the 60-plus demographic. His new film, The Hero, reunites him with Sam Elliott in the U.S. Dramatic competition. I’ll See You in My Dreams is available to stream on Amazon. • Lightning Bolt from page 5 for Chargers fans, I know Dean Spanos and his family did everything they could to try to find a viable solution in San Diego.” The pain will certainly remain for most Charger fans who have held the team near and dear to their hearts for so long. Winning, though, cures all pains in the world of sports and now it is up to Spanos to find a way to field a successful team so that the Chargers can officially begin to put their relocation to Los Angeles in the rearview mirror. – Asixlion@earthlink.net • Katrena Woodson. Like Us on Facebook
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