ALA Booklist (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

This entry in the Monsters and Mythical Creatures series certainly makes demons seem real. Beginning with an introduction that explains the origins of the devilish creatures, the book discusses demon-like entities throughout cultures and religions. Satan, the most important biblical evil entity, gets a full description. The book also provides information about demons' abilities, such as shape-shifting, manipulating time, and, of course, human possession, and exorcism is given several pages. With devils such a prevalent part of so many cultures, there are plenty of images to choose from, and the book's visuals, which include contemporary photos of ceremonies and artists' renderings of demons, can be quite startling. Excellent sidebars, some only a sentence or two, cover topics such as the number of exorcists in the Catholic Church. Source notes and a bibliography complete this frightening, informative package.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2011)

Blurring the line between fiction and nonfiction, each book uses sources to support detailed accounts of encounters with the featured creature. Demons presents legends from a variety of cultures, as well as information on exorcism. Aliens explores UFOs, extraterrestrials, and types of abductions. Color photographs and illustrations and "Did You Know?" boxes add interest. Reading list, websites. Ind.

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

HIRSCHMANN, Kris . Demons . ISBN 978-1-60152-147-7 . LC 2010029905. KALLEN, Stuart A. Aliens . chart. ISBN 978-1-60152-145-3 . LC 2010027194. MOONEY, Carla . Dragons . ISBN 978-1-60152-148-4 . LC 2010027313. ROBSON, David . Cyclops . ISBN 978-1-60152-146-0 . LC 2010027195. STEWART, Gail B. Water Monsters . ISBN 978-1-60152-136-1 . LC 2010026449. WOOG, Adam . Zombies . ISBN 978-1-60152-150-7 . LC 2010029904. ea vol: 80p. (Monsters and Mythical Creatures Series). photos. reprods. further reading. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. ReferencePoint . 2011. PLB $26.95. Gr 8 Up Well written and well researched, each title describes the characteristics of a monster: its origins in literature or lore, its physical appearance, instances in which people believe they interacted with it, and hoaxes. Occasional "Did You Know?" sidebars offer compelling factoids such as, "The ancient Chinese traded a substance said to be dragon saliva to use in making perfume" ( Dragons ). The authors consistently use the words "myth," "literature," and "folklore" to drive home the idea that the creatures in question are not real. As in the "Unexplained Phenomena" series, the title on demons is a poor fit for a series aimed at young readers, even teens, since few people actually believe in the existence of aliens, dragons, and the like, but some religions teach that demons are real. Also, while the other volumes describe a goblin's appearance in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and how Greeks imagined a Cyclops looked, Demons deals with possessions, exorcisms (one of which resulted in a 2005 crucifixion), Ouija boards, and spirit communications in the modern-day world.