Monsters Unleashed

Gr 4–6—Freddie hates being picked on at school, but there is just no place a six-foot-four sixth grader can hide. Cruelest of all are the three bullies Freddie has dubbed the Monsters. To vent his frustration, Freddie draws cartoon monsters that represent the inner monster of each nemesis. When Freddie and his friend Manny are left alone to clean up the art room after a no-holds-barred paint battle with the Monsters, the two boys seize the opportunity to make 3-D printouts of the mini-monsters from Freddie's drawings. Shockingly, the small pink plastic figurines come to life and immediately escape from the boys' control. Even more problematic is the monsters' disturbing ability to grow to great size when exposed to water. Soon the monsters are wreaking havoc in the school and around town, and the boys need to capture the monsters and minimize the damage. When Freddie and Manny realize that their enemies hold the key to stopping the three creatures, they find themselves teaming up with the very bullies on whom the monsters are modeled. There is no new ground broken in this enemies-become-friends book, but the tentative relationship among Freddie, Manny, and their tormentors is authentic. The initially stereotypical characters (jock, nerd, geek) evolve slowly and exhibit realistic reactions as they learn to work together. The malevolent trio often revert to form, insulting Freddie and even angering the real monsters, before the team finally triumphs. The ending hints at more monster adventures to come.