The Ghoul-It-Yourself Book is the fifth book of the Ghoulfriends, written by Gitty Daneshvari. It was released on September 02, 2014.
Unlike the previous entries of the series, this is an activity book and not a reading book. Its contents are divided in three sections: Ghoul-It-Yourself Activities, "Creep Around the Clock", and "An excerpt from The Gargoyle Code of Ethics".
"Creep Around the Clock" is the activity book's advertised bonus content, takes place three months after 'Til The End.
Content[]
Ghoul-It-Yourself Activities[]
The first few pages are a refresher to the titular ghoulfriends: Rochelle, Venus, and Robecca. After a short group introduction, each gets four pages for an individual introduction, a quiz on the character, and a relevant activity.
A good part of the rest of the activities are creative exercises such as pages to write poetry, draw fashion, write stories, or write down memories. Other activities are puzzle games, such as maze games, and instructions to party games. The activities are all themed around and linked to the four books that make up the Ghoulfriends series.
Here and there, the excercises contain bits of lore, such as the yearly Dance of the Delightfully Dead at Monster High and Gargoyle Code paragraph 87.4: Secret societies are required to have a list of rules and regulations in order to avoid anarachy and chaos.
Creep Around the Clock[]
Summary[]
Erroneously waking up well before dawn, Robecca goes for a flight around campus until she may awaken her friends. Upon her return to the dormitory, she is aware of a sound like keys dangling from a chain, but can't find its source and blames it on a loose bolt of her own. She makes her way to the Chamber of Gore and Lore to meet up with Venus and Rochelle, who also hear the odd sound. Rochelle opens the door and discovers Hissette slithering to their door. The jewelry-covered snake drops a small scroll from her mouth and leaves when Venus picks it up. The scroll contains a message from Cleo asking the trio to meet her at 8:30 AM in the Study Howl.
At the meeting, Cleo explains that with her father in hiding following his exposure as a double-agent for ASOME, she's taken it upon herself to clean out his belongings. In doing so, she's discovered a mechanical box containing a photograph of Hexiciah Steam and a blue envelope containing a map of Little Crop of Horrors. Though it's been commonly thought that the renowned explorer had simply gotten lost traversing the sprawling Catacombs a century ago, the box's contents reveal that Ramses made him disappear because Hexiciah had discovered Ramses's ties to ASONE. Cleo hands the box over to Robecca with her apologies. Robecca and her friends resolve to try and find Hexiciah using the map, which indicates that they'll have to go to Little Fanghai and Little Transylvania. With Bloodgood's and Nami's help, they're soon off by train.
In Little Fanghai, the girls need to acquire a gold tooth from a dragon known as Long Tail as an object of evidence. Soon enough, they spot an elderly dragon with a tail twice the length of his body entering his home and surmise it's him. Because Long Tail is unlikely to just abandon his century-long task, the girls break into his home to pull his tooth when he falls asleep. It leads to a moment of disappointment and confusion when no gold tooth can be spotted in the elderly dragon's mouth, but Venus notices that the gold tooth actually hangs from a chain around his neck. Long Tail wakes up when she removes it, but Robecca puts him back to sleep by arguing that the three of them are just figments of his imagination.
With Long Tail's gold tooth in hand, the girls head over to Little Transylvania to meet Count Gorelock. They again choose stealth over a direct confrontation, entering the count's castle through a window. Inside, they are beset by vampire gnats that only annoy Rochelle, but bite Venus and get inside Robecca's machinery. The best they can do is to don the suits of armor lined along the wall, even though the noise gives them away. Gorelock, fortunately, allows the trio to explain their trespassing. They hand him the tooth and he recognizes it, but fakes ignorance of its significance. Frustrated about the seemingly dead end, Robecca removes her helmet. Gorelock changes his tone upon seeing her and admits that he used to keep Hexiciah prisoner for Ramses. But the two became friends and Gorelock not only let him go, but also has since been waiting for when Robecca inevitably would come looking for her father. Gorelock shows the girls Hexiciah's old lab and hands Robecca a toolbox left for her by Hexiciah that contains everything she needs to repair her internal clock. Although disappointed that her search didn't reunite her with her father, she is happy with the thoughtful gift and that there are people looking out for her.
Characters[]
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Notes[]
Milestones[]
- Little Crop of Horrors, Long Tail, and Gorelock make their fiction debut.
Continuity[]
- The Ghoulfriends book series ends with this entry. In the main continuity, Robecca is reunited with her father in Hexiciah Steam's SDCCI diary.
- Ghoulia's zombie-themed dance craze at the end of "Ghoulfriends Creep Around the Clock" is the Zombie Shake event.
References[]
- "We're off to see my father, the most wonderful father of all!" is a play on "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!" from The Wizard of Oz.
- "Ghoulfriends Creep Around the Clock" ends with Robecca's declaration "Ghoulfriends Forever!". This is a callback to the title of the first book.
Other[]
- Wydowna Spider, Captain Penny, Cy Clops, Ramses de Nile, and Hexiciah Steam are mentioned, but have no role in the events of the book.
- Hissette delivering a message that she's been carrying in her mouth is a reference to the Secret Creepers - Critters line.
An excerpt from The Gargoyle Code of Ethics[]
Rochelle gives a rundown of the entries of The Gargoyle Code of Ethics, a renowned manual for proper gargoyle behavior.
| Paragraph 1.7 |
| One must warn others of danger. If there is an imminent danger to a fellow entity, the one possessing such knowledge must uphold his or her duty to inform such entity so as to prevent harm befalling said entity—i.e., someone in danger. |
| Paragraph 3.5 |
| Do not ask others to do for you what you can do for yourself. |
| Paragraph 3.9 |
| One must share with the authorities any and all information relating to a possible crime. |
| Paragraph 4.7 |
| One must not wait to help another. Help must be given right away—vite! |
| Paragraph 5.8 |
| An ethical gargoyle must inform others of misconceptions. This protects them from misunderstanding and then misrepresenting themselves and/or others. |
| Paragraph 5.9 |
| If one hears inaccurate information being shared, it is advised to intercept and correct the information. |
| Paragraph 6.8 |
| A gargoyle must abide by his or her word. Truth must be held un the highest esteem, above all other things. |
| Paragraph 6.9 |
| Being forthright in times of crisis is paramount to escaping said times. Do not waste time with pleasantries when the stakes are high. |
| Paragraph 7.9 |
| Once a gargoyle has decided to help, actions should be both focused and speedy. |
| Paragraph 10.4 |
| One is strongly encouraged to carry un mouchoir, a handkerchief. It will indubitably come in handy. |
| Paragraph 11.3 |
| One must never allow poor timing to interfere with the truth. (See paragraph 6.8.) |
| Paragraph 11.5 |
| It is advised that gargoyles should never sit atop normal furniture, or pets. Keep an eye out for things of delicacy and do not crush them. |
| Paragraph 12.3 |
| True friendship requires honesty. |
| Paragraph 13.3 |
| When in the company of candles, long-haired ghouls must pull back their hair to avoid follicular fires. |
| Paragraph 14.8 |
| When taking a photo with a flash, it is imperative that the photographer keep his or her hand perfectly still. This is advised when taking any photograph. |
| Paragraph 18.4 |
| One mustn't pressure others to do things they are not ready to do. Offer your guidance, advise what the Gargoyle Code of Ethics would suggest in the situation, and step back so they can make their own choice. |
| Paragraph 47.6 |
| It is most important to get plenty of rest. Fatigue is a well-known reason for underachievement. |
| Paragraph 56.3 |
| Do not be late for class. Any class. Don't be late for any appointment. Punctuality is preferred in all cases. Other monsters will feel slighted, and it is the height of rudeness to be late. |
| Paragraph 56.8 |
| When a student is taking a class, it is important to respect monsters in authority, meaning the teachers. Students should not fib to teachers and should always tell the truth. (See paragraph 6.8.) Do not interrupt during lectures, and always take detailed notes. Do not ever interrupt any safety lessons: in fact, it is advised to memorize every word for later recall. |
| Paragraph 58.5 |
| It is imprudent to have livestock or horses in the same room as food. |
| Paragraph 61.2 |
| The customer is always right in business transactions, except when they are wrong or have inaccurate information. In that case, it is one's duty to correct the customer and clear up any misconceptions. |
| Paragraph 76.2 |
| Managing a friend's expectations is key to maintaining a lifelong friendship. If you are always late, make sure they always expect you to be late. |
| Paragraph 76.7 |
| Do not mix romance and friendship. Do not mess with another monster's monster. |
| Paragraph 77.3 |
| It is best not to ask for favors. However, it can sometimes be necessary in order to follow another ethical practice, or in times of crisis. If you do need a favor, clearly state what you need and why you are asking. Offer to do a kindness in exchange. |
| Paragraph 80.7 |
| Mission leaders must have a plan before beginning the task. A poor plan is worse than no plan at all. |
| Paragraph 100.1 |
| Brush your teeth or fangs regularly. It's also important to floss daily. |
| Paragraph 100.7 |
| It's always appropriate to be well and neatly dressed. It is acceptable to tailor your ensemble for the occasion. |
| Paragraph 100.8 |
| One must wear appropriate clothing for secret outings. Generally, secret outings happen at night or in darkness, and therefore black is recommended. |
| Paragraph 125.7 |
| If one has concerns or misgivings, or suspects judgments or actions may be based on misconceptions or half-truths, it's always better to voice such concerns sooner rather than later. |
| Paragraph 200.1 |
| The code and its rules may be broken ONLY when the results of said action will aid in the greater good—for example, if it will save a monster's life. |
Notes[]
References[]
- Wuthering Frights is a pun on the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights.
- The activity "Sherlock Bones" is named after the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. The activity itself is a challenge to write a mystery tale and an opening line is already provided: "It was a dark and stormy night, and...", after " It was a dark and stormy night", the well-known opening to the 1830 novel Paul Clifford.