Potterwookiee (Creature from My Closet)
Introduced at the end of Skye’s Wonkenstein (2011), Potterwookiee is another weird combination of fictional characters: a small-scale mix of Chewbacca and Harry Potter. He has got Harry’s glasses, scarf, and scraps of his clothing, but in Skye’s kidlike illustrations, “Hairy” looks pretty much like a Wookiee. His magic spells don’t start working until the end of the book, when middle-school narrator Rob Burnside needs help with an audition for a reality TV show called Average Chef. Focusing less on school than friends, foes, and Hairy, Skye delivers a familiar and appealing mix of anecdotes, sketches, and self-deprecating humor. He is also an able satirist of family dynamics. Next up: Pinocula. Grades 4-7. --Abby Nolan