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Book Talk #2: A Monster Calls



A Monster Calls is a low fantasy novel written for children twelve and up. It’s set in England and follows a boy named Conor who’s dealing with the grief of his mother’s terminal illness. Helping him cope is giant, slightly terrifying tree monster that visits him every midnight and tells him stories. The monster asks for Conor to tell him a story as well – the story of his own truth. What is Conor really afraid of? Patrick Ness won the Carnegie Medal for this book in 2012. Jim Kay, the illustrator, won the Greenaway medal alongside Ness – making the only time where both an author and illustrator of a book have won medals. In 2016, the novel was adapted into a film directed by J.A. Bayona, starring Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, and Felicity Jones.

Rationale: I chose this text because its emotionally powerful and resonant story. It’s extremely well-written and a brisk read (only 200 pages), and I feel that students are likely to be engaged with this story and its themes compared to other pieces of literature they will read. The illustrations are unique and suggestive, capturing the interest of the reader while also providing accompanying visuals. I think all students from 6th – 12th grade will have no problem understanding this book. It’s written for everyone. That sentiment is true of its themes as well. Students who have had to deal with death, loneliness, or grief will relate to Conor in a way they won’t relate to characters they read about in other literature.

Teaching Ideas: This book is ripe with teaching ideas. I’ve been able to find lots of curriculum developed for this book, which surprised me considering how recent it is. Some of the teaching ideas I’ve developed for the unit plan I’m designing are: 1) “Caption It”: Before students read the book, they are given the illustrations by Jim Kay and are asked as groups to caption or summarize what might be happening in each picture. 2) “My Truth”: Students write their own fictional fantasy story that serves as an allegory to something that’s important to them (a time in their life, a feeling, a struggle). 3) A group drawing activity where students put together a monster that represents things they are afraid of.

Challenges: I wouldn’t expect any pushback from administrators for using this material. It is appropriate for many ages and doesn’t contain anything directly offensive of controversial. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear negative feedback from parents though, as the book does deal with extremely heavy and distressing themes head-on. I think students overall will really enjoy this material and have a true emotional reaction to it. This could actually pose a problem; the ending is really difficult emotionally and some students might have a hard time getting through it, especially those who have experienced what Conor does in the book.
Movie Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0D8BTRg6A

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