Nightmare Academy: Monster Hunters (2007) is a fantasy novel written by Dean Lorey about a boy named Charlie Benjamin and his best friends Theodore Dagget and Violet Sweet. The story focuses on how Charlie and his friends repel the forces of the Named, the most powerful creatures in the Netherworld. Plot summary The novel begins in a small town describing the life of Charlie Benjamin. Charlie has a rare ability to portal monsters from another dimension known as the Nether during his nightmares. His parents are both overprotective and do not want their son bullied because of his early academic history of portaling through creatures during naptime. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin decide to home school their only son and as a result, Charlie becomes an outcast with no friends in his neighborhood. He continues to unknowingly bring Nethercreatures into his room when he has a nightmare. One night, Charlie brings a Silvertongue into his room. Charlie wakes up before the Silvertoungue kills him, and sees a team of three people, Rex, Tabitha, and Pinch attempting to bring the creature back to where it belongs. After the fight, Charlie's parents meet the team. Pinch explains that Charlie has the Gift, which allows him to open portals into the Nether and bring creatures across them. Charlie's gift is too strong, which can become dangerous. Pinch suggests that Charlie follow them to the Nightmare Division, who will decide what should be done with such a dangerous boy. Charlie's mother reluctantly allows him to go. At the Nightmare Division, the Director instructs Charlie to open a portal. Charlie proceeds to accidentally open a portal to the Named, which are huge powerful beasts. Chaos ensues, and Barakkas, one of the four named creatures of the nether, reaches out his hand and attempts to enter. Charlie quickly closes the portal, which cuts Barakkas's arm off, including his bracer. After a debate about Reducing (a process that removes IQ points in order to lower gifted peoples power) Charlie, the Headmaster brings him to the Nightmare Academy. There, Charlie meets two classmates, Theodore and Violet. The school trains two different groups, the Banishers and the Nethermancers. Banishers, like Rex, fight and hold off Nethercreatures whereas Nethermancers, like Tabitha, open portals to send them back. Students who lose their Gift are trained as Facilitators, who provide help to the other two. After meeting the Trout of Truth (a creature