It Came from Beneath the Bed!

Tales from the House of Bunnicula #1

by James Howe, James Howe

Dear possible reader of this book,
I want to be a writer, just like my uncle Harold, who wrote a bunch of books about our friend Bunnicula. So I wrote this story. And boy! Did I ever get into trouble! My friend Delilah stopped speaking to me because I put her in my book. Uncle Harold stopped speaking to me because I didn't put him in my book. A writer's life isn't easy!
But back to my story: It's about how a talented and lovable (not to mention smart) wirehaired dachshund puppy named Howie saves the world from a disgusting, evil menace named...oops, that would give away the story. But trust me, this menace is disgusting and evil, all right!!!
Your friend, Howie

Genres: Humor, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of the Bunnicula series as a kid (heck, I still like them), how could I resist picking up this book when I saw it at the library? Very quick and entertaining, not to mention funny. :)

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE BED!
James Howe

This was just so cute. I really enjoyed it.

5 stars

Happy Reading!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been revisiting the books of my youth. Early this month, I finished the complete Bunnicula series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I decided to give this "spin off" series a try. I read the first one today and immediately ordered the complete set of six since my library only has a couple of them. It was hysterical! Much of the humor would be lost on the kids it's supposedly written for, yet I'm sure they would like the story, too.

If you have kids and spend time reading aloud together, please check these out. If you don't have children, these books are still for you!

Remember, no one is too old for the library's children section!!

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Came from Beneath the Bed! by James Howe is the first book in the Tales from the House of Bunnicula series. Howie wants to be a writer like his Uncle Harold, who wrote all the books about Bunnicula. With some guidance from Uncle Harold, Howie writes his first story about saving the world from a science experiment gone wrong.

I am a huge fan of the Bunnicula series, so I could not wait to read the next series with my favorite furry friends. I love how the story alternates between Howie’s entries in his writing journal and the chapters of the story he is writing. It is neat to see how Howie’s story unfolds as he is writing it. He takes the feedback from Uncle Harold to heart. I love all the information included about parts of speech, cliff hangers, and figurative language. This book could be a terrific mentor text for teaching creative writing to young children.

I adore the characters. Howie is precious. Uncle Harold is supportive and patient. Howie’s friend Delilah is adorable and happens to be his love interest. The bantering between Delilah and Howie is amusing. Members of the Monroe family, Chester, and Bunnicula make an appearance in Howie’s story which is entertaining. I continue to enjoy James Howe’s storytelling. Brett Helquist’s incredible illustrations bring the story to life. I’m excited to read more of Howie’s stories throughout the rest of this series.

[Amber Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because one of my students (a non-reader) said he loved it and wanted me to read it. Well,you can't say no to that! I liked it for what it was worth. James Howe is talented, even in books like this, where it's clear he's writing badly on purpose. I was amused because it was written in the POV of a puppy Howie, and he is getting literary criticism from Harold (the narrator of Bunnicula) as he's writing his story. It's cute, it's funny, it's geared towards a third grade boy, and that's okay.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is cute, but a bit dated. I do appreciate that readers can use this story as a model for how to write a story. What not to do, what elements work, how to add good describing words, etc. However, my library does not have the Bunnicula series books in the collection so the series title is strange considering there are no vampire rabbits in the story. I'll keep the first three in the series but donate the rest.

[Chelsea Hagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute and funny. It had some hints on writing that was helpful. It also made it extra funny for me because I own a dachshund:)

[Randi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book! I would give it 10 stars if I could. I am reading it to a fourth grade class and they love it. I am having so much fun reading it and being Howie and Delilah (batting my eyelashes and tossing my blonde ears) to make the kids laugh.There are several character opportunities to really put yourself into and show the joy of reading to kids. The illustrations are great but they are black and white so you will need to walk around the class for the kids to see. It also has some teachable moments (what is an adverb? A simile?) It is a perfect read aloud book and I highly recommend it. I was familiar with Bunnicula from my children who loved those books when they were young. Howie is a new character and the books are about half the length of Bunnicula which is perfect because I only have a half hour to read to this class once a week. The kids did remember the story from last week and were anxious to find out what happened. They have already asked me if there are more books in this series.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this story is so doggone cute! The main protagonist, Howie, a wire haired dachshund puppy, is adorable and determined to be a writer and solve the dilemma of what kinds of scary things you might find under the bed. When coupled with his love interest, Delilah, the cuteness overload is undeniable.

I listened to the audiobook, and just loved the personality the narrator, Joe Grifasi, brings to Howie and the other characters in the story. But mostly I was enchanted with her personification of Howie.

[Veld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first experience with the Bunnicula IP. While it might not be a story about said character it was still a really fun read.

I think it portrays writing quite well, especially the experience of writing as a kid. Sometimes feedback can be harsh and we don’t see the flaws in our own work, but dang it, it’s still a lot of fun.

I could totally read another book with Howie as the protagonist. It was a fun time. I look forward to reading the first Bunnicula soon, too, and seeing how the writing style may change with the adventures of a “vampire bunny”.

[Shaun Jex · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a hilarious and very quick read set in the world of Bunnicula. A great send-up of classic sci-fi and monster movies, it features a lovable (if slightly self-obsessed) wirehaired dachshund named Howie, who is trying to write his first novel and follow in the literary footsteps of his uncle. Along the way, you'll encounter mutant stuffed animals, an evil scientist, stinky shoes, and plans for world domination.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ve got a literary license, so I can do whatever I want, right?”

Howie - that “bright, fast-thinking wirehaired dachshund puppy
Pete
Delilah
Pudgykins

A fun and silly “horror” novel for younger students looking for just a hint of scary.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
The boy says it looses half a star for the romance between Howie and Deliah. He agreed with Harold that Howie uses too many adjectives to describe himself.

[Macklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute and funny

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter grabbed this series randomly from the library and says that she gives the whole series 5 stars.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is fine, if a little goofy and what feels like an underlying eye-rolling or bitterness coming from the author. My 7 year old loves them, though, and really, he is the target audience.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, but we didn’t realize this wasn’t part of the original Bunnicula series, which we’ve loved. We’d rather read that instead.

[Becky Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute.

[Booked 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunnicula was one of my favorites as a kid. It’s easy to see why.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

felt all over the place but makes sense to the personality of the dog

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We really enjoyed the Bunnicula series by James Howe; our girls just love them. We've also read the books in the Bunnicula and Friends series and a few of the books in the Harold & Chester series, so the characters in these stories feel like old friends.

This is the first book in the Tales From the House of Bunnicula series, books that are written from Howie's point of view. The story line is very conversational and is written as a combination of journal entries and chapters from a story that Howie writes. The narrative is quite entertaining and the illustrations are fun, too. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we will be sure to read more of the books in this series.

[Suki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was such a relaxing book to read. What's interesting about this book is the author includes his Uncle's comments on his stories and he tries to fix it. He shows the process of him writing his stories and his creative mind of extraordinary stories. In his journals, he writes in the perspective of a child and he adds in humors in it. Sometimes i feel the way he does because sometimes writing is fun but it could be difficult to write a good piece of writing. It takes patience and time to develop skills in writing and I'm trying to improve my skills, too. People often say that practice will do the work and the more you practice, the better you get at it. At first i don't know how to play badminton and i really suck at serving and hitting the birdie. I didn't give up at all. I practiced at home with my mom and i got better! Now, i am even better at playing badminton than my mom. Champion!

[Liam Mcevoy]

In the story “It came from under the bed” Howie the dachshund and Delilah, a fellow dachshund have to investigate under Pete’s bed because of the mysterious science experiment he has been boing and some of the chemicals fell behind his bed frame. (Spoilers ahead). Eventually Howie finds that he chemicals that fell under his bed and spilled on Pudgykins a teddy bear then causing him to grow giant and wreak half the city. Eventually they find out that he was just mislead and confused and is a nice monster, so they put him on an island where he consumes the world’s garbage. In conclusion the story of this book is the typical bad monster that turns in to a good monster, but since the story is told from a dogs perspective that makes it one of a kind.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 5 year old has begun to explore the chapter books at the library, and this one caught his eye. Since I had read the Bunnicula books by James Howe, I thought he might enjoy this book. However, as we read the book and were halfway through it, it became too intense for him, and he asked that we stop reading it because he was getting scared. I believe we will come back to this series when he is older though.

[Mckinley Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It came from beneath the bed, by James Howe
I previously read bunnicula and it is just as good, it's an easy read and I guarantee you will have a good time reading it. This book is about a puppy who wants to write so badly like his uncle and struggles to write a story of his own, but when he does it IS truly a very good story. I love this book because it shows that it is okay to follow your dreams.
McKinley Davis

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

We did this book as a read aloud per student request. They enjoyed this book very much. It was a bit hard for my language learners, but they learned all sorts of new vocab: dust bunnies, potion, doomed, etc. This was my first Bunnicula book, and it probably would have helped to read one of the first book before reading this one.

[Hayley (Strange & Unusual Book Club) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just finished reading this to my 9-year-old. We read the whole thing in one sitting since he wouldn't let me put it down. He loved it and was rolling on the floor laughing. I was very happy to see Howie as a character in the book and see Chester and Harold again too. A fun read for parents and kids, I highly recommend.

[Chris Eboch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love James Howe's Bunnicula books for their zany characters and wacky humor. This series, narrated by young dachshund Howie as he figures out how to write to wild sci-fi and horror stories, are especially fun for authors.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 7 year old read this book for his November book report so I figured I would have to read it too to be able to help him. Cute enough story but I think some kids might find the switch between the story and the writer's journal difficult to follow at times.

[Earline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun new series with the characters from the Bunnicula books. I liked the journal format and thought it was a good way to show the creative writing process. I also really liked the Howie's actual mad scientist story. Hilarious.