When seventh grader Monty Hyde moves for the fourth time in two years, it’s the same old story. New neighborhood, new school, new bullies, no friends. With his dad working all the time and his older brother too popular to notice, he’s the lonely outcast yet again. That is until he finds a mysterious replication serum in his basement and decides to make a friend. From scratch.But when his creation … his creation turns out to be a stinky, hairy eight-foot-tall monster that might be eating the neighborhood kids, Monty knows he must undo his experiment. Problem is, it’s the best friend he’s ever had.
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This is a cute story that any older child/young adult would enjoy. I found it to have a creative plot that kept us reading. The child I read it with loved the building of the monster in the basement. He was engaged from beginning to end. This is about Monty who has once again moved, which means a new school, new friends and of course new bullies. He builds himself a friend but what if he has to undo his friend when he is suspected of eating children? I highly recommend reading this book.
Monty and the Monster
By: Rhonda Smiley
5 out of 5 stars
The story Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley is an enjoyable book to read. It is a story that is well written and does a wonderful job in presenting a storyline and characters that are entertaining to read about. It is a book that young adults would enjoy. There is the main character of Monty Hyde. He is in the 7th grade and is once again moving to a new home and town. Monty is a character that doesn’t like starting over again as he has had to 4 times in the last 2 years. He feels like he never fits in. When he finds a mysterious replication serum in the basement, he decides that he is going to make a friend, literally. They spend time together and Monty’s creation soon becomes the best friend that he has. His creation, however, is stinky, hairy, and might be eating the neighborhood kids? Read this book to find out the full story of what happens in the life of Monty and his creation. Monty is a character that can easily be identified with. He feels that he is not understood and is an outcast. He is dealing with a new school, bullies, and feeling misunderstood. There are funny and humorous moments as well as ones that made me feel sad. There are additional characters that are introduced and interact with Monty that are enjoyable to read about as well. This is a story that teaches its readers about friendship, love, and acceptance.
Imagination meets monsterly fun twist together in a tale with heart, humor and adventure.
Monty is anything but thrilled to be staring at a ‘new’ home again. And it’s not even a nice looking one. They move constantly thanks to their dad’s work, but while his older brother manages to meet friends where ever they go, Monty is alone with his magic kit and skateboard. When he discovers a trapdoor in the attic (his new declared bedroom), he discovers a tunnel and the most amazing things. Suddenly, life takes a very unexpected turn, and he finally ends up creating a best friend…or sort of best friend. The monster is anything but easy to handle.
This is a fun read, which lets imagination and adventure fly, exactly the way a middle grade read should. Monty is easy to connect with as he moves yet again and tries his best to fit in but just can’t. Add that he’s doing his best to come to terms with the loss of his mother and an irritating big brother, and he’s the kind of kid readers will sympathize with. Especially since he doesn’t mope but refuses to give up the things he likes to do.
This is a fast-paced read, which allows just enough details for the reader to understand what’s going on but never dives into boring moments. Something is always happening, and it’s packed full with imagination at every turn, making it impossible to guess what will happen next. Because monsters aren’t really predictable creatures. Humor mixes with tenser scenes to create a lovely mix, which is sure to keep the age group involved in the story from beginning to end.
And there are messages. Not fitting in, moving, loss of a parent, sibling relationships, staying true to yourself, and several other themes pop in without ever slowing the plot or taking over the fun. The adventure stays at the fore-front, and it’s hard not to root for Monty until the very end. Plus, the reader is left sort of wishing they might have the chance to deal with a monster themselves…or maybe not.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed this fun adventure.
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Monty and the Monster
Author: Rhonda Smiley
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 17 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘This story is amazing! I like how it started and how Monty is a good person in the book. It also wasn’t scary so that’s good too.’ Boy, aged 9
‘Exciting story, not too gross, with a cool ending. His brother’s not very nice. He’s the worst character. Monty’s the best. I liked how it looks at bullying and how difficult it is for children to move to a new house a lot.’ Girl, aged 11
‘I think Monty is fun and easy to like. He has the sort of problems a lot of kids have when they start a new school, but he finds a very ‘interesting’ way of dealing with it! I followed most of it although a few of the words were new to me.’ Boy, aged 12
‘A well-written, well-edited adventure story for 9 – 12 year olds. The writing style and vocab is age-appropriate, and I didn’t spot any errors. Lots of pace and very funny in parts, the children in my class thought this was a superb story.’ Primary, teacher, aged 45
‘I felt sorry for the boy always moving school. That must be tough. I liked the story and how the boy created a sort of Frankenstein. That was clever. The mystery is also good. I think this author is a clever writer.’ Boy, aged 11
To Sum It Up:
‘A clever, superbly written story for 9 – 12 year olds. Fast-paced, funny and packed full of excitement. A BRONZE MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Super cool story about a kid who doesn’t feel like he fits in or has friends. He is always the new kid in town and doesn’t make friends easily.
So of course he creates his own best friend.
This is one of those books that I think would be enjoyed by humans of all ages. There are great visuals and lessons learned.
Monty and the Monster
By Rhonda Smiley
5 out of 5 stars
Monty and the Monster is the exact kind of book I would have loved when I was younger. I am looking forward to sharing this book with my children when they’re a bit older.
Monty and the Monster was creative fun from start to finish but not without holding meaning within the story line. Great book!
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley
4 stars
This was such a good read. While aimed at younger readers, I enjoyed this story. My kiddos are just a tad young to understand or sit through a book this length, I will save this for future reading time.
Tired of moving around because of his dads job, Monty discovers a serum in their new house and that’s when things get really interesting. All he wanted was a friend but you’ll have to read to uncover what happens.
Taught some valuable lessons and had some laughs too. Author did a great job of getting into the mind of an early teenager.
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley
5-Stars
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley was an excellent, fun, and family friendly novel. Monty was a very creative and well developed character. His struggle adapting to a new town and having to make new friends is something many individuals can relate to. It was an excellent way to make him seem more realistic and relatable. I had no problem identifying with him and remember having the same issues as a young girl when my family moved.
I also enjoyed how easy the storyline was to follow and how the author really made everything come to life. I also loved the various settings and how descriptive the author was in following Monty into the secret passage at the beginning of the book. I feel this book is appropriate for younger readers as well as older but not younger than maybe 5th or 6th grade level due to the amount of pages and different vocabulary used. I do highly recommend this book since it was a fun read.
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley is an adventure story. It is a quick read and a fun read.
Monty feels left out and kinda shy so he creates something he has always wanted and that is a special friend. However, this particular special friend is not quite what he was looking for.
Rhonda has done a good job at creating something that will appeal to young and old when sitting down to read.
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley. This is the story of Monty Hyde who has just had to move again for the 4th time in 2 years. He’s going into 7th grade and its going to be the same ole story, new neighborhood, new school, new bullies, no friends. His brother is always super popular so he forgets about his little brother and his dad has to work all the time. When Monty finds a old replication serum in his basement he decides to make a new friend. Only his new friend is 6 ft tall and stinky and hairy and mighty be terrorizing the neighborhood. He has to stop him but he’s the best friend Monty has ever had. What will Monty do?
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley in my opinion would be a great book for elementary through junior high school. It is a well written and the story tells a tale which can be related to by most kids. . Monty is a young man who has moved four times in the last two years. Now that sounds like a lot and it is but what is even worse is that he is in seventh grade. This complicates things a little bit. He does feel like he fits in. He is looking for a friend which he has not accomplished yet. While looking in the basement he found a serum that will replicate. Monty, like any 12 year boy, decides he will create a friend. Will this actually solve his friendless dilemma? What will the other kids say? Will his friend work out or will it be more trouble than what he is worth?
What if building a new friend were as easy as performing a science experiment?
Monty was such a likeable guy. He was quirkier than most kids his age, but the hobbies and mannerisms that made him stand out from the crowd were also what made him so interesting. His unique approach to what someone should do for fun in their spare time showed off so many of the things that made him who he was as an individual.
Yes, some of Monty’s quirks lead to him being bullied because of how his classmates misunderstood him and he misunderstood them at times. I thought the scenes that showed him being mistreated by the other students at his school were realistic and well written. While this definitely isn’t true for every case of bullying, Monty did need to learn how to polish up a few of his social skills in this particular situation, and his classmates needed to learn how to be more accepting of people who march to the beat of their own drum. The author struck a nice balance between showing how both of those things can be true simultaneously while still having a lot of compassion for a kid who’s had to adjust to far too many new schools in his short lifetime.
This was one of those cases where a blurb fairly reveals the basic plot of a book while still leaving plenty of surprises for a reader to discover for themselves. I was intrigued by the little I knew when I started reading it, and I quickly realized that I enjoyed this tale twice as much as I originally thought I would. I obviously can’t go into specific details here, but I will say that this felt like something that underpromised an already attention-grabbing storyline only to over-deliver on exactly how much fun it was to read. It’s pretty marvellous when that happens!
The character development was handled beautifully. I especially appreciated seeing all of the ways in which Monty grew and changed as a person as a result of everything that happened to him during the course of this storyline. He matured so nicely while still remaining true to who he’d been all along.
Monty and the Monster is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to deal with bullying or experiments that don’t necessarily go the way they’re expected to.
Monty the Monster by Rhonda Smiley is a fun book to read. Definitely something that middle schoolers/young adults might enjoy reading.
Monty is a 7th grader who has once again moved to a new place. It’s hard to make and keep friends when you move around so much. Monty finds a serum and decides to create a friend which should be much easier than making friends. However, things don’t go according to plan and Monty May have created a monster…literally. Monty has to come up with a new plan once he realizes his monster best friend may be eating neighborhood kids.
This book was a fun read but also very relatable for young people. Monty’s character can be easily related to at almost any age though. Making friends is not easy!
Monty and The Monster was a cute, fun, and enjoyable read. I think that this is a perfect read for any young adult. Monty Hyde has moved again and that means less time his father is home with work, his brother bus with friends that no one will not notice he is the outcast again. One day he decides to make a friend of his own. But what happens when this friend is a monster and just might be eating the kids in the area!?
Rhonda Smiley did an awesome job with the book. A story of family, friends, with laughs and so many smiles. I let my eleven year old read the book and she loved it even more than I did. We both give this book 5 stars.
A great read about friendships. Monty always has trouble making friends. When he moves house again, he struggles to fit in and finds bullies everywhere. Whilst exploring his new house, he finds a trapdoor in the attic leading to underground chambers full of old crates and notes about old experiments. Full of excitement, Monty decides to literally make a friend. his friends turns out to be a furry monster with mysterious abilities. Can Monty keep his monster hidden from the world before scientists get to him?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns that I just couldn’t put down. Well developed characters like Monty standing up for himself but vulnerable underneath. Great cast of supporting characters like the mysterious and bubbly Houdini or the creepy Dr Petrovic
I loved the visual detail throughout the novel like with the rickety house full of cracked floors and spider webs and lofty attic for a sense of the gothic. Or the scenes in the underground with the rope ladder and tunnels for a sense of adventure, dark and dangerous and exciting wonderfully written. Or the scenes in the skate park full of life and people and a sense of wonder as a place away from it all for Monty. Or with the monster and giant size with its colourful fur and teeth and claws and the green slime straight out of a sci fi novel, strange and weird and wonderful.
The combination of horror with monsters and experiments and a child’s story with school and bullies combined perfectly to make a captivating read. I loved the sense of the horror genre existing in a kids narrative, a place you wouldn’t expect it and makes it fresh and exciting. I also liked the nods to horror stories like with Hyde and the hints to Frankenstein later on was a lovely addition. Overall, a great read and I would give it five stars.
Monty and the Monster
By Rhonda Smiley
4 stars
Monty and the Monster was such an enjoyable read – I really enjoyed it. The author’s creative writing style captured my interest straight away and I can imagine older children/young adults would definitely enjoy the story. I really liked the character Monty and thought that he was really relatable and I can imagine that children would easily relate to some of the situations that he finds himself in. The story could definitely be used as a great teaching tool at times.
I would definitely recommend this story for young children/adults – I think the creative storyline along with the relatable characters would make it a very enjoyable read for them. There are some good twists in the story that will get them thinking about what could happen.
This wonderful story is specifically targeted to an audience in the tween/teen category. It is detailed, quirky, quick witted, and deals solidly with real troubles facing that age group without being condescending or belittling. I found the premise charming and the MC relatable and funny. I really enjoyed reading this book and believe, no matter what age you are, you will find something to love in these pages.
Monty and The Monster by Rhonda Smiley is such an appealing story that everyone will enjoy reading this book.
Although it is clearly aimed slightly older children my daughter loved me reading this book to her. I can already tell that this will be a book we come back to time and time again. The characters were brilliant. They were loveable and easy for a young child to connect with.
The author has done an amazing job at writing in a way that will appeal to children who can read on their own but also appealing to people like myself, who are reading to their children. Although it is a children’s book I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author touched on some relatable topics and handled them in a fun and imaginative way. This is a great book for children that I would recommend!
4 Stars
Monty and the Monster by Rhonda Smiley is an adventure ‘chapter book’ written with 8 – 13 year olds in mind, I imagine. But I am waaaay older than that and still enjoyed this cute story, so I guess it can be appreciated at any age.
Monty Hyde is in the seventh grade, he’s moved around a lot and always seems to be the ‘new’, awkward kid in class. His brother never seems to have any problem fitting in, he’s popular wherever they go, and his father is always seems to be working. Leaving Monty feeling a bit isolated, and very lonely. He would love nothing better than to have a close friend, someone to just accept him, and to hang out with. So, the story takes an interesting turn when Monty discovers a replication serum in the basement- and decides to ‘create’ his own friend. What happens next makes for a really fun and touching read.
Thank you, Ms. Smiley!
This is an amazingly adorable story! The story…the characters are all great! I love how this reads! I really feel like I am in the head of a thirteen year old. And the interactions between Kyle and even his Dad are so spot on! Name calling, wrestling, frustration with the parent, mad scientists even the bullies at school..Perfect!
I loved Monty! He is what I think of when I think of a thirteen year old. Magic, skateboarding, pushing boundaries and a smart mouth. He struggles making friends after moving for the sixth time, now he is in a new town, old house with no friends. Then he decides to make one. Enter Houdini! Scary at first but they become best friends. I love all of the cool things that Houdini can do. He is a monster anyone could love.
All of the secondary characters were crazy good! From the mad scientist to his brother and even their dog. They did well adding to the story but not overstepping. I loved them all!
This is a wonderful story of family, dealing with your past, bullies and new friends. I really *felt* for Monty and even Houdini and let’s not forget Watson. This is a first time author for me. This caught my attention from the beginning. I devoured it pretty quickly. It brought me chuckles, smiles and frustration. It is easy to read and flows very nicely. I don’t want to forget the cute little “adds” at the beginning of every chapter! Loved them!