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Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course
Librarian's note: This an alternate cover for: 9781950150014
A 10-year-old boy desperate for a new best friend orders monsters from an ad at the back of an old comic book.
Ten-year-old Marco Torres needs a new bestie. Or a few. He’s on the outs with his EX-best friend and needs someone to talk to, confide in. So he takes a chance on an ad in the back of an old comic book promising something big: MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS. Marco hopes they’ll make amazing new besties and scare off his bully, who in a mean twist of fate happens to be the twin of his crush. When the monsters arrive, Marco unleashes their magic and draws the reaction he’d hoped for from his classmates—until the monsters’ hilarious, uncontrolled escape through the school’s ceilings makes it nearly impossible to hide them from adults. And when Marco’s ex-bestie challenges him to a grudge match to finally settle their score, it’s Marco’s monsters against an enemy robot in a race on remote control trucks through the neighborhood junk yard. But through it all, Marco begins to wonder who should really be fighting his battles? And what exactly is he fighting for?
A tale of friendship breakups and makeups, of monsters and robots, and of racing and chasing. Featuring a diverse cast and bilingual Latino protagonist, readers will love the Spanish lightly sprinkled and explained within.
A 10-year-old boy desperate for a new best friend orders monsters from an ad at the back of an old comic book.
Ten-year-old Marco Torres needs a new bestie. Or a few. He’s on the outs with his EX-best friend and needs someone to talk to, confide in. So he takes a chance on an ad in the back of an old comic book promising something big: MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS. Marco hopes they’ll make amazing new besties and scare off his bully, who in a mean twist of fate happens to be the twin of his crush. When the monsters arrive, Marco unleashes their magic and draws the reaction he’d hoped for from his classmates—until the monsters’ hilarious, uncontrolled escape through the school’s ceilings makes it nearly impossible to hide them from adults. And when Marco’s ex-bestie challenges him to a grudge match to finally settle their score, it’s Marco’s monsters against an enemy robot in a race on remote control trucks through the neighborhood junk yard. But through it all, Marco begins to wonder who should really be fighting his battles? And what exactly is he fighting for?
A tale of friendship breakups and makeups, of monsters and robots, and of racing and chasing. Featuring a diverse cast and bilingual Latino protagonist, readers will love the Spanish lightly sprinkled and explained within.
285 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2025
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Silvia Acevedo
6 books18 followersSilvia Acevedo writes stories for kids and adults who want magic and mystery in their world.
She scared up wild monster hijinks in MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS: CRASH COURSE, visited the ghost La Llorona in THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA, and barely escaped the wrath of Greek and Roman gods in her mythological GOD AWFUL series. She's pleased that her works have garnered great reviews from trade publications, prestigious awards from industry organizations, and kind words from readers.
Silvia also worked in New York publishing at Scholastic, literary agency Writers House, and the non-profit Inkluded Academy, which champions diversity in publishing. She led the Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Writers Association. Before that, she enjoyed 25+ years in broadcast news, covering everything from presidential politics to state fair food-on-a-stick.
Find her at SilviaAcevedo.com
PRAISE FOR MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS: CRASH COURSE:
“An entertaining fantasy romp that mixes uproarious japes with wise insights into friendship and forgiveness. … OUR VERDICT: ✓GET IT.” — Kirkus Reviews (Recommended review)
PRAISE FOR THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA:
"An entertaining, fright-filled geographical tour.” — Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL REBEL:
"More plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster ride. Along with the first two titles in this simply outstanding series ... "God Awful Rebel" is especially and unreservedly recommended. - Midwest Book Review
"The professionalism and quality of the writing and art is ... exceptional." - Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL THIEF:
"An impressively imaginative, extraordinarily witty, and exceptionally talented novelist, Ms. Acevedo continues to provide an expanding parade of fickle gods entwined with Cupid's misadventures, potential tragedies, and everlasting comedies in her 'God Awful' series. An inherently riveting read from beginning to end, "God Awful Thief" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community library Fantasy Fiction collections." - Midwest Book Review
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL LOSER:
“funny moments and attention-grabbing action scenes… this book might appeal to older fans of the Rick Riordan books or those interested in Roman mythology. VERDICT for larger libraries with high demand for mythological fiction.” - School Library Journal
She scared up wild monster hijinks in MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS: CRASH COURSE, visited the ghost La Llorona in THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA, and barely escaped the wrath of Greek and Roman gods in her mythological GOD AWFUL series. She's pleased that her works have garnered great reviews from trade publications, prestigious awards from industry organizations, and kind words from readers.
Silvia also worked in New York publishing at Scholastic, literary agency Writers House, and the non-profit Inkluded Academy, which champions diversity in publishing. She led the Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Writers Association. Before that, she enjoyed 25+ years in broadcast news, covering everything from presidential politics to state fair food-on-a-stick.
Find her at SilviaAcevedo.com
PRAISE FOR MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS: CRASH COURSE:
“An entertaining fantasy romp that mixes uproarious japes with wise insights into friendship and forgiveness. … OUR VERDICT: ✓GET IT.” — Kirkus Reviews (Recommended review)
PRAISE FOR THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA:
"An entertaining, fright-filled geographical tour.” — Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL REBEL:
"More plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster ride. Along with the first two titles in this simply outstanding series ... "God Awful Rebel" is especially and unreservedly recommended. - Midwest Book Review
"The professionalism and quality of the writing and art is ... exceptional." - Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL THIEF:
"An impressively imaginative, extraordinarily witty, and exceptionally talented novelist, Ms. Acevedo continues to provide an expanding parade of fickle gods entwined with Cupid's misadventures, potential tragedies, and everlasting comedies in her 'God Awful' series. An inherently riveting read from beginning to end, "God Awful Thief" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community library Fantasy Fiction collections." - Midwest Book Review
PRAISE FOR GOD AWFUL LOSER:
“funny moments and attention-grabbing action scenes… this book might appeal to older fans of the Rick Riordan books or those interested in Roman mythology. VERDICT for larger libraries with high demand for mythological fiction.” - School Library Journal
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 9, 2025
Fresh and fun look at friendship! Believable characters and a story that has you rooting for everyone. Also, I now want my own monsters so if you see any old comic books lying around, let me know.
October 31, 2025
After having a fallout with his best friend, Tinker, Marco feels lonely and depressed. These feelings prompt him to take advantage of an ad he finds in a comic book where he can order his own monsters. Part of him isn’t sure if it’s the real thing and if he’ll actually receive monsters in the mail, and another part of him is eagerly hoping that the monsters are real, and that they’ll be his new best friends. When his monsters arrive in the mail, strange instructions tell him how to turn them into real creatures. And after that happens, Marco’s life is majorly transformed into new routines of caring for his monsters, as well as learning how to live with them in a society that doesn’t accept monsters to be something that not only can play, but also talk and do neat tricks! “Monsters aren’t real,” people say. But Marco is here to prove them all wrong in Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course by Silvia Acevedo.
The monsters in this story are not your average scary creatures. In fact, they are friendly and actually feel fear over scary things like the possibility of snakes being nearby or someone acting very scary. They also offer hugs, of all things. Have you ever hugged a monster? Marco and his friend, Maite, get to experience this affection with the monsters, and soon Marco realizes just how special his new monster friends are.
One exciting aspect about this book is that it is a great way for readers to learn some Spanish words and phrases. Marco is a Latino character, so his family speaks Spanish at home. But many of Marco’s friends and some teachers are also Latino, so Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the book. The thoughts as well as internal dialogue from Marco responding to and explaining the Spanish phrases are helpful to understand what was said.
While Marco had ordered these monsters because he was feeling like he needed some new friends to replace the one he lost, he had also hoped that his new friends might make his former friend jealous. But when the other kids at his school inquire about where to get their own monsters, he starts to feel guarded about the whole “monster ownership” idea.
Last week, he wanted monsters to make Tinker jealous, to make Tink see how cool he was with new friends, and if Tink had all the answers to their mysteries, well, he wouldn’t be quite as impressed. The other reason Marco wouldn’t say where he got the monsters was because he knew they weren’t asking out of simple curiosity. They wanted their own. So, while it wasn’t entirely true to say “1 can’t say,” it was true that he couldn’t say at that moment because saying so would lose them part of their magical appeal. (Page 145)
But Marco also realizes that his new monster friends also serve another need for him:
With Tinker being super hostile and Knox bullying him, he needed friends, someone he could talk to and play with so he wouldn’t feel quite so alone. (Page 145)
These new friends, however, certainly keep Marco busy. He learns responsibility when he takes his monsters to school, and the monsters create a lot of chaos. Marco realizes that, unlike human friends, these monster friends do things the monster way. Not only this, but they are often hungry, much hungrier than most people. This creates several misadventures in the school, pitting the monsters against the teachers, the janitor and even the principal as they do things such as steal lunches, free animals, and wreak havoc in classrooms.
Through this friendship with his monsters, Marco also learns important lessons about himself and about friendship. He learns healthy ways to deal with his bullying problem. These lessons help him to understand his interactions with his human friends better, and maybe how he should be a little more understanding about the differences they have.
When his ex-best friend proposes a challenge to see who has the better “new best friends,” Marco takes it on. This part of the book is very interesting and fun to read. It also allowed this reader the opportunity to see Marco’s monsters shine in a brand-new light, as they show creative and dedicated aspects of themselves that they would not ordinarily be showing. This part of the story was very entertaining to read, and I’m sure the young readers who this book is written for will enjoy this part of the story, too. It was exciting to read about the big day. How action-packed and full of surprises this part of the story was! The author did an excellent job in writing it, as I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading it!
Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course by Silvia Acevedo is a unique and entertaining story for kids as well as adults who are young at heart. These monsters are very real, but they’re not the kind that hide in your closet waiting to scare you. They’re the kind that wants to play with you, share fun activities with you, but most of all, be your friend.
The monsters in this story are not your average scary creatures. In fact, they are friendly and actually feel fear over scary things like the possibility of snakes being nearby or someone acting very scary. They also offer hugs, of all things. Have you ever hugged a monster? Marco and his friend, Maite, get to experience this affection with the monsters, and soon Marco realizes just how special his new monster friends are.
One exciting aspect about this book is that it is a great way for readers to learn some Spanish words and phrases. Marco is a Latino character, so his family speaks Spanish at home. But many of Marco’s friends and some teachers are also Latino, so Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the book. The thoughts as well as internal dialogue from Marco responding to and explaining the Spanish phrases are helpful to understand what was said.
While Marco had ordered these monsters because he was feeling like he needed some new friends to replace the one he lost, he had also hoped that his new friends might make his former friend jealous. But when the other kids at his school inquire about where to get their own monsters, he starts to feel guarded about the whole “monster ownership” idea.
Last week, he wanted monsters to make Tinker jealous, to make Tink see how cool he was with new friends, and if Tink had all the answers to their mysteries, well, he wouldn’t be quite as impressed. The other reason Marco wouldn’t say where he got the monsters was because he knew they weren’t asking out of simple curiosity. They wanted their own. So, while it wasn’t entirely true to say “1 can’t say,” it was true that he couldn’t say at that moment because saying so would lose them part of their magical appeal. (Page 145)
But Marco also realizes that his new monster friends also serve another need for him:
With Tinker being super hostile and Knox bullying him, he needed friends, someone he could talk to and play with so he wouldn’t feel quite so alone. (Page 145)
These new friends, however, certainly keep Marco busy. He learns responsibility when he takes his monsters to school, and the monsters create a lot of chaos. Marco realizes that, unlike human friends, these monster friends do things the monster way. Not only this, but they are often hungry, much hungrier than most people. This creates several misadventures in the school, pitting the monsters against the teachers, the janitor and even the principal as they do things such as steal lunches, free animals, and wreak havoc in classrooms.
Through this friendship with his monsters, Marco also learns important lessons about himself and about friendship. He learns healthy ways to deal with his bullying problem. These lessons help him to understand his interactions with his human friends better, and maybe how he should be a little more understanding about the differences they have.
When his ex-best friend proposes a challenge to see who has the better “new best friends,” Marco takes it on. This part of the book is very interesting and fun to read. It also allowed this reader the opportunity to see Marco’s monsters shine in a brand-new light, as they show creative and dedicated aspects of themselves that they would not ordinarily be showing. This part of the story was very entertaining to read, and I’m sure the young readers who this book is written for will enjoy this part of the story, too. It was exciting to read about the big day. How action-packed and full of surprises this part of the story was! The author did an excellent job in writing it, as I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading it!
Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course by Silvia Acevedo is a unique and entertaining story for kids as well as adults who are young at heart. These monsters are very real, but they’re not the kind that hide in your closet waiting to scare you. They’re the kind that wants to play with you, share fun activities with you, but most of all, be your friend.
August 17, 2025
What would you do if your best friend dumped you? Buy monsters, of course—and take them to school! Silvia Acevedo’s hilarious and heartfelt new middle-grade book, Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course, takes readers on a whimsical ride with Marco Torres and his three delightful creatures. Acevedo’s Marco is a realistically flawed character, who’s just trying to navigate school, friendship, and his first crush without getting into too much trouble. But his monsters have other ideas. Readers will enjoy discovering the creatures’ capabilities, laughing at their school pranks, and cheering them on during the thrilling road race challenge. As an added bonus, Spanish words and phrases are effortlessly sprinkled throughout the book, adding a beautiful layer of authenticity. Can Camo, Stinky, and Growler show Marco what it means to be a true friend?
July 22, 2025
Monsters to the rescue! This fast-paced, delightful adventure will have middle-grade readers (and up!) glued to the page as Marco attempts to solve his problems with a little help from some new friends. What could go wrong? Turns out—plenty! You’ll enjoy being along for the twists and turns as the author skillfully weaves a story of friendship into this action-packed tale. The smart inclusion of occasional Spanish phrases used by the multicultural cast of characters provides an excellent learning opportunity. Witty, hilarious, and full of fun with a touch of sweetness when we need it the most!
August 7, 2025
Mail Order Monsters by Silvia Acevedo is an action-packed adventure filled with excitement, surprises, and unforgettable friendships! Perfect for classrooms and read-aloud fun, Mail Order Monsters is a thrilling, laugh-out-loud story about teamwork and the true meaning of friendship. Young readers will love the wild adventures, quirky creatures, and heartwarming moments that make this book an instant favorite!
August 3, 2025
What an absolute delight! Mi ahijado is the perfect age for this fabulous and fun, fast-paced story. The character, Marco, is relatable and full of questions while learning the powerful life lessons his monsters teach him. Acevedo's positive messages about friendship and family will be easy for young readers to understand. I can't wait to give a copy to my Godson.
August 3, 2025
Marco Torres needs a little company. So he orders monsters from a vintage comic book. What could go wrong? Plenty. The monsters bring mischief, mayhem, and plenty of fun. This monstrously entertaining tale is a crash course in making mischief, surviving mayhem, and mending friendships.
August 3, 2025
The title hooked me, but the hilarity and hijinks kept me turning the pages. Now I want my own mail-order monsters!
August 18, 2025
Clever, fun, fast-paced and filled with humor, kids will wish mail-order monsters were real in this delightfully relatable tale of about friendships and family.
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May 22, 2025Silvia Acevedo ’94
Author
From the author:
What does a 10-year-old boy desperate for new friends do when he sees an ad for mail-order monsters in the back of a comic book? He orders them, naturally.
Ten-year-old Marco Torres needs a new bestie. Or a few. He’s on the outs with his EX-best friend and needs someone to talk to, confide in. So he takes a chance on an ad in the back of an old comic book promising something big: MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS. Marco hopes they’ll make amazing new besties and scare off his bully, who in a mean twist of fate happens to be the twin of his crush. When the monsters arrive, Marco unleashes their magic and draws the reaction he’d hoped for from his classmates — until the monsters’ hilarious, uncontrolled escape through the school’s ceilings makes it nearly impossible to hide them from adults. And when Marco’s ex-bestie challenges him to a grudge match to finally settle their score, it’s Marco’s monsters against an enemy robot in a race on remote control trucks through the neighborhood junk yard. But through it all, Marco begins to wonder who should really be fighting his battles? And what exactly is he fighting for?
Author
From the author:
What does a 10-year-old boy desperate for new friends do when he sees an ad for mail-order monsters in the back of a comic book? He orders them, naturally.
Ten-year-old Marco Torres needs a new bestie. Or a few. He’s on the outs with his EX-best friend and needs someone to talk to, confide in. So he takes a chance on an ad in the back of an old comic book promising something big: MAIL-ORDER MONSTERS. Marco hopes they’ll make amazing new besties and scare off his bully, who in a mean twist of fate happens to be the twin of his crush. When the monsters arrive, Marco unleashes their magic and draws the reaction he’d hoped for from his classmates — until the monsters’ hilarious, uncontrolled escape through the school’s ceilings makes it nearly impossible to hide them from adults. And when Marco’s ex-bestie challenges him to a grudge match to finally settle their score, it’s Marco’s monsters against an enemy robot in a race on remote control trucks through the neighborhood junk yard. But through it all, Marco begins to wonder who should really be fighting his battles? And what exactly is he fighting for?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews