After
writing my own book of poems about monsters and how they represent feelings, I
was excited to read this light romantasy novel.
As with many modern books that
explore the monstrous, this story defines monstrosity by how characters behave,
not by their “monstrous” abilities or parentage. The so-called monsters
are a group of adorable children living in an orphanage. But the true monsters are human bureaucrats who view these children as
a threat to be controlled.
Enter protagonist Linus, a by-the-book caseworker
sent to assess the orphanage and its charges. As the island and its inhabitants
work their magic on Linus, he realizes that there is life – and love
-- beyond his cubicle.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not…
This
modern Frankenstein retelling is so compelling. Told in graphic novel format, M
Is for Monster is a YA story about two scientist sisters.
After the younger
sister dies in a lab accident, her older sibling reanimates her. The problem
is that “M” does not remember who she was before. She knows herself to be a wholly
new person.
I love how Talia Dutton uses the Frankenstein story to explore
grief, sibling relationships, and the sovereignty of the body. As in Mary
Shelley’s classic novel, the question posed here is: Who is the real monster,
the creator or the creature?
A scientist attempts to bring her younger sister back to life with unexpected results in this Frankenstein-inspired graphic novel about ghosts, identity, and family
When Doctor Frances Ai's younger sister Maura died in a tragic accident six months ago, Frances swore she would bring her back to life. However, the creature that rises from the slab is clearly not Maura. This girl, who chooses the name "M," doesn't remember anything about Maura's life and just wants to be her own person. However, Frances expects M to pursue the same path that Maura had been on-applying to college to become a…
This contemporary middle-grade novel is infused with
Navajo culture. Protagonist Nathan is spending the summer out in the desert on
his grandmother’s ancestral land.
It’s hot, dusty, and there is no running
water. He’s miserable until he meets a Water Monster, whose mysterious illness
is causing a decades-long drought.
This is a great quest/adventure story
blended with contemporary themes about family dynamics. The storytelling is so
rich that I was totally caught up in Nathan’s quest to save the Water Monster.
American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner: Best Middle Grade Book! Brian Young’s powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster—and comes to realize he’s a hero at heart.
When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him.
Welcome to Monsterville, where the residents are
anything but ordinary. The monsters here are “friendly! thoughtful! shy, and
scary,” much like their human neighbors.
Readers will meet a monster house that
plays hopscotch and makes the sidewalks quake, laugh at a bubblegum-headed
monster’s epic tantrum, and cry with a monster called Sadness.
This quirky collection of illustrated poems is a celebration of friendship,
emotional intelligence, and creative play as a form of healing.
