The Boy Who Made Monsters by Jenny Pearson

In October 2019, I created my first post for Scope for Imagination.

Today I’m celebrating my 700th post with a very special book.

The Boy Who Made Monsters is everything that’s good about children’s literature. It is engaging, funny, heartfelt and speaks truth. It does not hide from issues faced by children. Instead, it approaches them with gentleness and hope. Jenny Pearson has found a way to support children through what may be the most difficult time – the loss of their parents.

Following a boating accident, Benji and his big brother, Stanley, are left on their own. Every day, they hope their parents will come home but it’s been months. Sent to live with Uncle Hamish in their dad’s childhood home in Scotland, they have the opportunity to make a fresh start – but grief is a monster that won’t leave them alone.

It turns out Uncle Hamish is having money troubles. Perhaps if Benji and his new friend Murdy can draw in the tourists with tales of loch monster sightings, there will be enough income to save their new home and make it somewhere they can stay forever.

Benji is a visionary. Sometimes you need to have the vision to believe the most unlikely things can happen. While Stanley is overcome by grief and the memory of what happened, Benji is determined not to let sadness take over. His hope, faith (praying to all sorts of gods to cover all the bases) and unwavering surity that everything will eventually be alright, set him on a charming and very funny course of misadventures. Uncle Hamish’s dog, Mr Dog, is the perfect sidekick (and provides the hugs Benji so desperately needs) while Murdy supports Benji through every hair-brained scheme with just the right amount of teasing.

Readers will fall in love with Benji, cheering him on and hoping with everything they have that he will find happiness once more. They will develop empathy for those who have experienced loss and see that friendship can make so much difference – but sometimes you need to go to adults when things get to be too much.

Thank you to Usborne and Fritha Lindqvist for an early copy of this important book!

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