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Monster vs. Boy
A moving middle-grade novel about unlikely friendships and facing our fears—or monsters!—perfect for fans of of Wendy Mass's and Rebecca Stead’s Bob.
“Monstrously magical and delicious!” —William Alexander, National Book Award Winner for Goblin Secrets
"A heartfelt tale of meeting your monsters and setting them free." —Linda Urban, acclaimed author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect
On the edge of town, a boy named Dawz lives with his sister and their uncle-turned-adoptive-father, Pop. No one in their ramshackle house knows that a monster—who is smaller than a bear cub—lives in Dawz’s bedroom closet. She calls herself Mim.
When a series of events forces Mim to leave her closet, she sets out on a quest to unlock the magic of books, but will Dawz be willing to help her?
The story of a monster who desperately wants to be seen and the reluctant boy who wishes he weren’t the only one who could, this exploration of found family, fear and mental health, and intergenerational trauma begs the question: What if the monsters that haunt us aren’t monsters at all?
“Monstrously magical and delicious!” —William Alexander, National Book Award Winner for Goblin Secrets
"A heartfelt tale of meeting your monsters and setting them free." —Linda Urban, acclaimed author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect
On the edge of town, a boy named Dawz lives with his sister and their uncle-turned-adoptive-father, Pop. No one in their ramshackle house knows that a monster—who is smaller than a bear cub—lives in Dawz’s bedroom closet. She calls herself Mim.
When a series of events forces Mim to leave her closet, she sets out on a quest to unlock the magic of books, but will Dawz be willing to help her?
The story of a monster who desperately wants to be seen and the reluctant boy who wishes he weren’t the only one who could, this exploration of found family, fear and mental health, and intergenerational trauma begs the question: What if the monsters that haunt us aren’t monsters at all?
240 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
About the author
Karen Krossing
12 books56 followersKaren Krossing wrote comics and poetry as a kid and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today, she’s the author of many books for kids and teens, including picture books One Tiny Bubble and Sour Cakes, and novels Monster vs. Boy, Punch Like a Girl, Bog, and Cut the Lights. She won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada in 2015 and 2023 and has been a finalist for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award and the Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award, among other honors. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she's on faculty at Whale Rock Literary Workshops. Watch for her upcoming picture books with Groundwood, Owlkids, and Charlesbridge in 2025 and 2026.
For more about Karen, visit karenkrossing.com.
For more about Karen, visit karenkrossing.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 31, 2023
This is a tale like no other you might read in a while. An 11-year-old boy, Dawz, lives in a town named Morsh, one with a tourism reputation for once having been home to monsters. The creatures are a constant reminder to Dawz of his monster-obsessed mother who left him. He and his younger sister, Jayla, are adopted by the mother's brother, whom they call Pop. Dawz and his friend, Atlas, love baking and continually try new ideas to prepare for the annual baking competition, wanting a win, like Pop in his younger years. The story becomes much more when Dawz discovers a monster with gray fur and purple scales in his bedroom closet whose name is Mim. The adventure begins with his terrible scream as Mim escapes into the unknown, wondering how she will manage. Though it seems they hate each other, both are struggling with changes. Dawz doesn't want anyone to think he's weird. (Who else has found a monster in their closet?) And Mim is growing larger, wondering about this new world she's found "outside". Deep layers of self-examination happen as the chapters alternate between the thoughts and adventures of both Dawz and Mim. And, I enjoyed the support of others, especially Pop, but also Atlas' mother, little sister Jayla, a pest-control guy, and a policewoman. It's intriguing to imagine oneself in this story and I imagine middle-grade readers will enjoy the same, but different, worlds of Monster and Boy.
Thanks to Charlesbridge for this copy!
August 24, 2023
On one level, Monster vs. Boy is a compelling thriller, but it's also a vehicle for kids to think about their deepest fears. I loved all of the characters, but Mim, the exquisitely and compassionately drawn monster, is a standout. Dawz, the boy, is her perfect counterpoint. A great book for kids to read as a page-turner, but also one that will stick with them for a long time.
March 18, 2024
I fell in love with Mim, the "monster" in Monster vs. Boy. This is a wonderfully told story about facing fear, trauma, mental health, and finding family and community ultimately through courage and acceptance of each other and ourselves. The characters are diverse and beautifully realized, the setting is compelling. I want to find myself in Morsh, "a town where black bears didn't live in pens, and most people believed that dangerous and magical creatures had once haunted the place. As if the land used to breed monsters but had forgotten how." The possibilities of what might be there, just out of sight, is palpable. I felt compassion for both Mim and Dawz, the boy, and his family and friends.
The writing is lyrical, detailed with specificity that makes the scenes vivid, the characters unique and kept me turning pages. And there is humour, sweetness and a lot of love. I will be re-reading Monster vs. Boy for it's joy, hope and skillfully crafted story. It is accessible to readers despite some of the heavier themes because the characters and their struggles and choices are so relatable. And how do you resist a story that is also about the power and magic of books?
The writing is lyrical, detailed with specificity that makes the scenes vivid, the characters unique and kept me turning pages. And there is humour, sweetness and a lot of love. I will be re-reading Monster vs. Boy for it's joy, hope and skillfully crafted story. It is accessible to readers despite some of the heavier themes because the characters and their struggles and choices are so relatable. And how do you resist a story that is also about the power and magic of books?
October 20, 2023
I really enjoyed Monster vs. Boy! It was definitely a page turner. I love the complex of the characters through the story. I'd recommend reading this book
September 2, 2023
In a town with a history of monsters—at least according to folklore, lives Dawz, a young boy, and his small monster Mim. Dawz lives with his younger sister Jayla and Pop, a freelance chef and the uncle who adopted the children when their mother ran off, and he suspects that a monster lives in his bedroom closet.
However, Dawz just wants to bake something of Extreme Greatness with his best friend Atlas, and win the Bakers’ Brawl.
When Pop decides to clean Dawz’s closet, he displaces Mim. “A spark flared inside Mim’s chest, where it pinged from heart to heart, faster and faster, This was HER closet. How dare they touch anything!” (28) Most upsetting of all was when they took the books, leaving her with only one. After listening to Pop read stories to the children night after night, what Mim wants most is “a friend to help her make a book work…” (28)
Mim grows larger and roams the town, holding onto her pillow and her one book and looking for a small nesting place that will stop her growth and hopefully make her small again; she makes friends with Atlas’ cat, who she names Raar—animals and Dawz being the only ones who can see her.
As Dawz and the town members—the policewoman, the town storyteller, and the pest control man—make plans to catch the monster, Mim realizes that she needs to stay near Dawz to retain her strength.
Readers learn what may have happened to Dawz’s mother who was chasing her own dragon and how Dawz created Mim in this adventure-packed story narrated in alternating chapters by Mim and Dawz. I have to admit that I was championing the little monster with her purple scales, hooves, and two hearts, especially with her love of books and quest to make them work to “create story friends.”
Through the story Dawz learns to face fears and free his monster—both literally and figuratively. While his mother hunted, fought, and may have succumbed to her monster, Dawz learnes to coexist with his
However, Dawz just wants to bake something of Extreme Greatness with his best friend Atlas, and win the Bakers’ Brawl.
When Pop decides to clean Dawz’s closet, he displaces Mim. “A spark flared inside Mim’s chest, where it pinged from heart to heart, faster and faster, This was HER closet. How dare they touch anything!” (28) Most upsetting of all was when they took the books, leaving her with only one. After listening to Pop read stories to the children night after night, what Mim wants most is “a friend to help her make a book work…” (28)
Mim grows larger and roams the town, holding onto her pillow and her one book and looking for a small nesting place that will stop her growth and hopefully make her small again; she makes friends with Atlas’ cat, who she names Raar—animals and Dawz being the only ones who can see her.
As Dawz and the town members—the policewoman, the town storyteller, and the pest control man—make plans to catch the monster, Mim realizes that she needs to stay near Dawz to retain her strength.
Readers learn what may have happened to Dawz’s mother who was chasing her own dragon and how Dawz created Mim in this adventure-packed story narrated in alternating chapters by Mim and Dawz. I have to admit that I was championing the little monster with her purple scales, hooves, and two hearts, especially with her love of books and quest to make them work to “create story friends.”
Through the story Dawz learns to face fears and free his monster—both literally and figuratively. While his mother hunted, fought, and may have succumbed to her monster, Dawz learnes to coexist with his
July 6, 2023
Dawz and his sister, Jayla, are living with their uncle, Pop, after their mother abandoned them. All Dawz can remember is that she was obsessed with monsters and there are rumours that she might have turned into one. These memories make him extremely anxious.
Life is fairly stable once they move in with Pop and Dawz, an avid baker, looks forward to winning a baking competition with his friend, Atlas.
However, the town of Morsh, with its reputation for attracting monsters, has a nasty surprise for Dawz. He finds one in his closet and they seem to share a deep and inexplicable connection.
Dawz is terrified that he will lose his mind, just like his mother, and will be ostracized by his family and friends.
Mim, the monster, who cannot recall life before the closet, finds that she grows each time she comes in contact with Dawz. Even though she tries hard to run away, something draws her back to him.
Eventually, Mim and Dawz have to face each other and figure out not only their connection but the deep, dark truth that lies beneath Mim's very existence.
Monster vs Boy is a layered and nuanced story about the insecurities that kids face as they move through adolescence, and the realization that no one is perfect. Acceptance of self is the first step toward a healthy and balanced relationship with others, and the world at large. This thoughtful story is sure to resonate with readers and will inspire them to be brave no matter what their circumstances.
Highly Recommended.
Life is fairly stable once they move in with Pop and Dawz, an avid baker, looks forward to winning a baking competition with his friend, Atlas.
However, the town of Morsh, with its reputation for attracting monsters, has a nasty surprise for Dawz. He finds one in his closet and they seem to share a deep and inexplicable connection.
Dawz is terrified that he will lose his mind, just like his mother, and will be ostracized by his family and friends.
Mim, the monster, who cannot recall life before the closet, finds that she grows each time she comes in contact with Dawz. Even though she tries hard to run away, something draws her back to him.
Eventually, Mim and Dawz have to face each other and figure out not only their connection but the deep, dark truth that lies beneath Mim's very existence.
Monster vs Boy is a layered and nuanced story about the insecurities that kids face as they move through adolescence, and the realization that no one is perfect. Acceptance of self is the first step toward a healthy and balanced relationship with others, and the world at large. This thoughtful story is sure to resonate with readers and will inspire them to be brave no matter what their circumstances.
Highly Recommended.
June 2, 2023
I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through NetGalley.
There are depths to think about in this book about a monster and the boy who created her. Krossing slowly reveals the reasons behind how Mim came to live in Dawz closet though early on the story simply seems to be two beings in close space. No one can see Mim but Dawz and he wants nothing to do with her; the feeling is mutual. As the story evolves, readers see beneath the surface antagonism between them and learn more about Dawz and his sister, Jayla's past before they came to stay with Pop. Their mom was unstable and finally left them with Pop to never return. It's only in the last few chapters that readers see why Dawz thinks of himself as a monster too. I appreciate the ending when both become free from the other and Dawz lets the darker part of himself show.
This had the potential to help readers see the "monstrous" parts of themselves and feel valued and loved for who they are. However, the pace was slow and some of the chapters felt redundant. Others will appreciate the way Krossing wove her story. Middle grade readers will certainly understand living with "monsters" they have to face and cope with.
There are depths to think about in this book about a monster and the boy who created her. Krossing slowly reveals the reasons behind how Mim came to live in Dawz closet though early on the story simply seems to be two beings in close space. No one can see Mim but Dawz and he wants nothing to do with her; the feeling is mutual. As the story evolves, readers see beneath the surface antagonism between them and learn more about Dawz and his sister, Jayla's past before they came to stay with Pop. Their mom was unstable and finally left them with Pop to never return. It's only in the last few chapters that readers see why Dawz thinks of himself as a monster too. I appreciate the ending when both become free from the other and Dawz lets the darker part of himself show.
This had the potential to help readers see the "monstrous" parts of themselves and feel valued and loved for who they are. However, the pace was slow and some of the chapters felt redundant. Others will appreciate the way Krossing wove her story. Middle grade readers will certainly understand living with "monsters" they have to face and cope with.
November 16, 2023
I find it tough to review this middle grade book. I liked the beginning and ending, but the pacing of events felt slow, and the setting didn’t work for me. However, the premise is so worthwhile. Obviously I’m not in the author’s target audience.
March 30, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews