Monster and Me Pack A of 3

Reviews / Votes

Gabby Gibbons wants to take her "people-hungry" pet monster out of his home, the closet, and have him star in the school play, The Christmas Carol. Obstacles, such as Gabby's mom and the fact that Dwight can't utter much more than "Roaarr!," get in the way, but the pair persevere. The story has a message, delivered not too subtly, that there is a space for everyone in our country no matter how they look: Gabby is African American while Dwight is "Monster-American." The illustrations are roughly drawn and sometimes look hastily put together, but Dwight is big and lovable, and children will become attached to him. * School Library Journal * REVIEW Little Gabby Gibbons wants nothing more than to show off her monster, Dwight, to the rest of the student body, but her mother will have none of it. So Gabby sneaks the hungry critter to school under the guise of being a new student so he can try out for the school play, A Christmas Carol. If he gets the part, then her mother will have to let Dwight come to school. He does and she does (and it all works out in the end) but not after Dwight tries to eat a few people and hack up gunk on the principal. Outside the main plot there lies another story, the one where Gabby's dad is always gone, always busy, always missing things important to her. Even he manages to make the play, albeit late, and is the first to clap. MONSTER AND ME is a breezy read with some nice vocabulary to boot: blubbering, enrolled, equal rights, ghoul, growling, humbug, ovation, self-esteem, showbiz and whine. The books (like all the graphic novels from Stone Arch) sport a glossary with pronunciation guide, discussion questions and writing prompts. It even has a section telling the student how to draw his or her own monster. MONSTER AND ME has a happy ending, one of the kinds with a pretty bow on top, but that doesn't take away from the fact that our protagonist must deal with real life big kid problems, like an absent father. On that front, the book gives kids hope that there problems might just work out, too. ART REVIEW Tom Percival's art is sketchy, rough, rugged - a compliment to the monster story. It has a 21st century, urban feel and is kid friendly without being childish. AGE RECOMMENDATION Chris' Rating: Ages 7 and older Publisher's Reading Level: Grades 1-3 Publisher's Interest Level: Grades 2-5 Guided Reading Level: K Lexile: GN 240L ATOS: 1.8 AR Quiz No.: 130881 Dewey: 741.5 BE AWARE It has elements of kid humor. Gabby goes to school with the zipper of her jeans down and a bit of barfing on the part of Dwight the monster. IN THE CLASSROOM This early reader comic is great for little minds and little hands. The vocabulary offers substance without being overwhelming to the child. The story offers plenty of text-to connection opportunities and chances to talk about responsibility and choices. CHRIS' RECOMMENDATION: Recommended http://graphicclassroom.blogspot.com/2009/10/monster-and-me.html * The Graphic Classroom Blog * Giving Capstone early chapter books Among the books I'm sorting for River Valley Elementary are these titles from Capstone Publishing. Monster and Me, a graphic novel by Robert Marsh and illustrated by Tom Percival, is part of the new Monster and Me series from Stone Arch books Graphic Sparks. Another title in the series is Monster in the Outfield. (c)2010 ISBN 9781434215895 $16.99 I like this crazy Monster Dwight who tries to eat everyone whenever Gabby's head is turned. There are many lines and illustrations in this that older readers (grades 2-5) will appreciate. A quick read that is fun. I especially enjoyed the author and the illustrator's bios in the back. Here's the author's (you'll have to get the book to read the illustrator's): Robert Marsh grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, but longed to live somewhere else. He pretended not to live in Omaha by reading lots of books. Every week, Marsha checked out twenty books from the library. Since he didn't have time to read all of those books, he would read the first chapter of each and make up the rest of the story. Marsh now makes up stories for a living and doesn't live in Omaha. Dreams do come true. Sugar Hero in the Princess Candy series. A graphic novel by Michael Dahl and illustrated by Jeff Crowther. A fast reading silly tale to appeal to girls. With names like Doozy Hiss, Halo Nightly, and Mr. Slink, you know this is a comedic take on superheroes. I did wonder if Mr. Nussbaum, the man riding in Mary Jane (the cab), was named after Greg Nussbaum and his educational website. Michael? Also in this series is The Marshmallow Mermaid. I wonder what powers Princess Candy will use in that title. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/830000283/post/800051280.html?nid=3368 * Practically Paradise Blog * Gabby is twelve years old and has a pet monster, but unlike normal monsters, Gabby doesn't want hers to stay in the closet. So, she brings him to school to help out with the school play- A Christmas Carol. I really laughed out loud as I read this graphic novel. It was really cute and fun with Monster trying to eat some of Gabby's classmates and teachers. This book also dealt with the issue of Gabby's father not being around often to see her different important events. He did, however, make it to the play and brightened Gabby and Monster's day. I love how these books have vocabulary words and discussion questions at the end. This would be great for younger or struggling readers in any elementary school. 5/5 Roses. * Bookworming in the 21st Century *