Book details
Dean Lorey - Author
This fantasy adventure follows Charlie as he enters a school for people who fight monsters. His unusual power, new friendships and a dangerous portal bring the threat from his nightmares into a struggle involving his family and Earth.
When Charlie Benjamin sleeps, monsters wake up.It's hard to fit in when your nightmares open portals to the Netherworld, where horrible creatures live—like the class 3 Netherstalker that invaded a sleepover and tried to eat the other children. Luckily there's a place for Charlie—the Nightmare Academy. Built from wrecked ships set in the branches of the world's most incredible tree fort, the Academy trains people to use their unique gifts to fight the monsters that rush in when the lights go out. But Charlie is far more powerful than anyone ever imagined, and his entrance exam opens a portal straight to the heart of the Netherworld, where ultimate evil plots Earth's destruction. He'll need all his cleverness—and the help of his new friends—to save himself and his family and to put these bad boys to bed once and for all. The monsters under your bed are real!But never fear—the Nightmare Academy will train Nethermancers and Banishers like you to destroy them!
Book Analysis
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Sign in for personalised guidanceHow the book presents it: The plot presents friendship and allies as part of how Charlie faces danger.
Talk about: What do Charlie’s friends offer that he might not manage alone?
How the book presents it: The Academy provides the story’s central training setting and explains how its characters confront the supernatural threat.
Talk about: How does training at the Academy shape the way Charlie responds to danger?
The story combines an imaginative school setting with peril and teamwork: Charlie must draw on his cleverness and the help of friends as the danger grows beyond the Academy.
Monsters threaten children during a sleepover, and the story includes monster-fighting and a plot against Earth. Consider whether your reader is comfortable with peril and frightening creatures.
If Charlie’s powers make fitting in difficult, what helps him find a place among the other people at the Academy?
Pause after the sleepover threat or the entrance exam to check whether the peril feels exciting or unsettling. You could then read on together and notice how Charlie’s friends contribute.
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
Nightmare Academy #1: Monster Hunters - Dean Lorey - Google Books
Limited information
Checked: 1 October 2026.
Relevant to: Belonging and friendship
Nightmare Academy by Dean Lorey | Open Library
Limited information
Checked: 1 October 2026.
Relevant to: Belonging and friendship; A school for fighting monsters
Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.
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