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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: Otto Normal’s Monsterton
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Vancouver
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two daughters.
EDUCATION:Studied at Circle in the Square Theatre School.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Producer and writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2024, review of Otto Normal’s Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach.
Publishers Weekly, June 17, 2024, review of Otto Normal’s Monsterton, p. 117.
ONLINE
Park & Fine, https://parkfine.com/ (January 2, 2025), author profile.
After studying at Circle in the Square Theatre School, Danielle
moved through the entertainment industry, dipping her toes in film,
television, digital shorts, podcasts, and traditional radio, until she
landed in producing live entertainment. Though the Monsterton
series and The Disappearance of White Pine Beach is Danielle’s debut
as an author, she saves her best stories for bedtime with her daughters.
Danielle lives in her hometown of Vancouver, BC.
Danielle McKechnie
Danielle McKechnie is a debut children’s book author from Vancouver, BC. After studying at Circle in the Square Theatre School, Danielle moved to Los Angeles and transitioned to behind-the-scenes where she worked throughout the entertainment industry in film, television, traditional radio, and live entertainment. Danielle now lives in her hometown of Vancouver with her husband and two daughters.
Represented by: Mia Vitale, Sarah Passick
McKechnie, Danielle OTTO NORMAL'S MONSTERTON Andrews McMeel Publishing (Children's None) $22.99 8, 27 ISBN: 9781524881177
Monsters and humans find common ground in order to save their friends from dark forces on a magical island.
Born in a snowstorm in California on the same day his father tragically died, 11-year-old Otto Normal leads a life that's always seemed destined to be anything but normal. Otto and his mom, Cherry, were just scraping by until a mysterious man came to the diner where Cherry was a waitress, offering her a job as a newspaper reporter on the island of Monsterton. Much to Otto's shock, she accepted, and the two packed up their meager belongings and set sail from the Oregon coast. But upon their arrival, Otto and Cherry quickly realize that they're outsiders in Monsterton: They seem to be the only humans and are surrounded by vampires, zombies, ghosts, and other creatures. Otto, who never had any human friends, goes to school determined to fit in. A trip to detention leads to an invitation to join a motley crew of classmates on an adventure to find the possibly mythical White Pine Beach, which jumps around within the foreboding Belcarra forest. The story unfolds through multiple viewpoints, and readers may become overwhelmed by the complicated worldbuilding and by plot intricacies that aren't always sufficiently explained. But the rich illustrations amp up the delightful eeriness with deeply saturated colors and a playfully rendered cast of ragtag characters who will leave readers eager for the next installment. Otto appears white.
Wonderfully weird. (Paranormal. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"McKechnie, Danielle: OTTO NORMAL'S MONSTERTON." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332891/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bca3b8e7. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
The Disappearance of White Pine Beach (Monsterton #1)
Danielle McKechnie, illus. by Simon Estrada. Andrews McMeel, $22.99 (432p) ISBN 978-1-5248-8117-7
For 11-year-old Otto, moving with his mother to Monsterton--an island off the coast of Oregon--is both a nightmare and a dream. Monsterton boasts scary yet fantastical items, creatures, and mysteries, including boney dry winger sandwiches, ghost classmates, and missing sirens. It's a paradise for monsters--but Otto and his mother are human. Otto does his best to fit in with his new paranormal pals, befriending zombie Luck, "Frankensteinian funnyman" Hamish, and slime monster Darby. When Hamish claims to have ventured into the ominous nearby Belcarra forest and found the illusive White Pine Beach, a mythological shore located deep inside the woods, Otto and company are doubtful. Nevertheless, the gang follows Hamish into Belcarra in search of said beach. Upon their arrival, Darby falls into the water and vanishes, sending the friends on a quest to find her, all the while unearthing the treacherous secrets of the wilderness. McKechnie capably balances the characters' humorous antics with steadily rising stakes while Estrada's animated illustrations expertly utilize light and shadow to deepen the atmosphere of this promising series opener, a dual debut. Otto reads as white; monster characters are described as having varying skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 8-12. (Aug.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Disappearance of White Pine Beach (Monsterton #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 24, 17 June 2024, p. 117. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A800405173/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=11000c7d. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.