Will Allen and the Great Monster Detective
By: Jason Edwards
ISBN: 9780978951207
Published September 15, 2007 by Rogue Bear Press
Available Format: Paperback, ebook

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads’ Synopsis: Will Allen and the Great Monster Detective is the story of a smart but timid 5th grade boy haunted by fears that have literally come to life. He searches fruitlessly for help until a strange business card mysteriously appears in his book bag, instructing him how to summon Bigelow Hawkins, The Great Monster Detective. With Bigelow's help, along with the use of a very special flashlight and magnifying glass, Will must learn how to conquer his monsters and uncover the secret of the dreadful Hidden Beast before it's too late...

The story starts out innocently enough. Who hasn’t had a monster under their bed at some point? How handy would a Monster Detective have been back then? Pretty soon, however, Will finds out these aren’t your run of the mill monsters. I love how the author works some really serious issues (bullies, abuse, insecurities) into such a fun, entertaining story. What a great way to approach tough subjects.

Some of the monsters did scare my six-year-old a bit. (And I’ll admit my husband and I had a fun time teasing him a little, but then discussed with him about how monsters are really just our imagination.) In the end, however, he really did enjoy the story, and I love seeing him engaged with reading as much as he was with this book.

After finishing the Great Monster Detective, he signed up on the website to become an honorary Monster Detective. He thought that was super cool. There are other neat activities that he can do on the site, and we’ll be checking those out soon.

This is a great chapter book with a great message. I highly recommend it! ( )