Frances and the Monster
by Refe Tuma (Author)
What would you do if you accidentally brought a monster to life and set him loose on your town? Adventurous and charming, this middle grade twist on Frankenstein features a precocious main character who does just that.
Frances Stenzel was just trying to prove her scientific worth to her parents so they would take her with them to their scientific symposiums for once--instead, she reawakened her great-grandfather's secret and most terrible invention. Before it can destroy the town, she sets off after it, with her pet chimp and sarcastic robot tutor by her side. But monster-hunting isn't easy, and she'll have to face a persistent constable, angry locals, and an unexpected friendship ahead--all while the trail for the monster goes cold and time is running out before her science career, and the city itself, are doomed forever.Full of thrills and heart alike, Frances and the Monster takes readers through winding streets and over perilous rooftops, with wily monsters, unpredictable twists, and powerful friendships waiting along the way.
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Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
In 1939 Switzerland, 11-year-old Frances Stenzel, who longs to join her famed scientist parents at a Brussels science symposium, is dismayed to be left behind as she always has been following the accident that took her ear seven years prior. This time, though, she's left in the care of a specially engineered android tutor named Hobbes. Chafing under the attention of her indefatigable caretaker, inventive Frances searches for a way to power Hobbes down, and instead discovers her great-grandfather Grimme's encoded journal and secret laboratory, which houses a corpse encased in ice. Deciphering the journal, Frances devises a way to complete Grimme's final experiment: reanimating the body, which promptly escapes the manor into the nearby city of Bern. Wracked with regret and clad in a bow tie and fedora, Frances sets out in pursuit, aided by sardonic Hobbes; a kind local boy, Luca Frick; and Fritz, a chimpanzee with artificially enhanced intelligence. Bursting with wry humor and references to Frankenstein, Tuma's (the What the Dinosaurs Did series) idiosyncratic, utterly original tale moves at breakneck speed through a richly imagined landscape, accumulating vividly rendered characters and settings--including a bear pit, a sewer, and the famous Zytglogge clock tower--while injecting considered discussions of modern themes such as gender roles and privilege. Characters are presumed white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Marlo Berliner, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"A captivating tale filled with monsters, marvels, and misadventures, Frances and the Monster is gripping, inventive, and deeply moving. Tuma's middle-grade debut is a harrowing and heartfelt tribute to owning your scars and learning to turn them into stars."— Alysa Wishingrad, author of The Verdigris Pawn
"This book has twists, turns, and surprises galore...And the ending, holy moly! No spoilers here, but this is the kind of book you'll want to talk about with a friend." — Ben Gartner, author of The Eye of Ra series
"A joy to read! — New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
JUV056000 - Juvenile Fiction | Robots
