Sometimes the world and people in it can be dangerous and cruel. How often have you been stung by the hatred or meanness of another? What makes it bad, the person had a facade of kindness, and their malicious deed occurred without a warning. Now imagine a parent trying to explain this kind of behavior, so their child doesn’t fall into the snares of these wicked traps. A creative narrative not only captures the child’s attention, but it also gets a message across without nagging or preaching.

“Harvest of Souls Crossover” educates children about the real behaviors of different types of people through a mini science fiction novel. Grandpa Howdy begins by telling his grandchildren the story of how two worlds of people – good and evil – became one. Now it was hard to tell the difference between those from either world. The lukewarm people are the worst, because they attend church on Sunday, and create holy havoc the rest of the week.

Shuby, the master of evil, wants to get rid of the good ones, but he needs to destroy the ten forefathers who lay asleep in tombs. Grandpa Howdy has hidden the forefathers, until their time to wake and save the good people. Several interesting events lead up to a special church service, where Shuby and three of his followers metamorphosis to “look good” in order to find information about the forefathers. But, the grandchildren are gifted with special powers to overcome the evil.

V.A. McCloud builds a bridge between hip hop and old school. Names like Heart Breaker Kid, Peacemaker, and Goody Two Shoes describe the characters, while the context explains the outcomes of their behaviors. Most children and teenagers will smile as they recognize traits of family and friends. I recommend “Harvest of Souls Crossover” to parents or guardians as a child’s gift to help reinforce any religious schooling. Reviewed by: Judine Slaughter