A Monster Calls
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What's A Monster Calls About
An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor. At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd– whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself– Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
What Kind of Book is A Monster Calls
What Questions Should I Ask My Child
- The author never uses the word 'cancer.' What clues in the story help you to know Conor's mom has cancer?
- What is it about Conor's situation that makes him feel so isolated?
- What do you think about how Conor handles his situation?
- None of the adults will tell Conor his mum is dying. Do you think they are doing the right thing?
- The Monster tells Conor three stories. How do these stories fit with Connor's situation? In each case the endings are unexpected, what do you think Conor learns from the stories? What did you learn from them?
- Talk about what happens to Conor at school. Why do you think he doesn't want to tell the teachers about Harry? What about Lily? Is she a good friend? Does Conor think so?
- Harry has a tricky relationship with his grandmother. How do you think they will get on after the story's end?
- The Monster almost always appears at 12.07. Do you think this is important? When the Monster appears at a different time, why is that significant?
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780606316033
- Publication Date
- March 12, 2013
- Publisher
- Turtleback Books
- Original Publication Date
- May 5, 2011
- Text Details
- This book has been typeset in Adobe Caslon.
- Illustration Details
- Jim Kay uses everything from beetles to breadboards to create interesting marks and textures.
- Page Count
- 224
- Words Per Page
- 149
- Audience
- Young Adult
- Reading Age
- 12 - 17 years
- Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
- 2017286296
- WorldCat Number (OCLC)
- 809615916
- Lexile® Level
- 730L
- Scholastic Level
- Y
- Est. Fountas & Pinnell Level
- ~Q
- ATOS® Book Level
- 4.8
- Accelerated Reader® Points
- 5
- Accelerated Reader Quiz
- 147163
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