Rare Beasts: Edgar & Ellen    by Charles Ogden Order:  USA  Can Aladdin, 2005 (2006) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Nod's Limbs is a friendly little town filled with honest hardworking citizens. However, there is one small block on the far end of town where an unsavory set of twelve-year-old twins live in a tall gloomy house that overlooks the cemetery. Since their parents took an around-the-world holiday and forgot to return, Edgar and Ellen live alone except for a one-eyed pet of undetermined species. The evil twins spend their days fighting and harassing one another, while plotting mischief to torment the townsfolk. Since they have no income, they also have to come up with schemes to support themselves and pay the expenses incurred while painting graffiti on town signs or spraying pop on the soccer fields. It's lucky for them that while watching their favorite TV show, Around the World With Professor Paul, the professor mentions how lucrative the trade of exotic animals is becoming. Edgar and Ellen go entrepreneurial and begin kidnapping town pets to resell to collectors. Unnerving and funny, Rare Beasts is a rare novel of black humor aimed at kids aged 9 to 12. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews