The Monsters of Marymount Mansion

The Monsters of Marymount is a wonderful book for children of all ages. Although it is a chapter book meant for children in grades 1st through 4th, younger children will also enjoy having the book read to them by their parent or an older sibling.

Toby is an eight-year-old little green monster who is full of energy and life. He can’t wait for his favorite holiday to come— Halloween! This year, he is going to be allowed to go out and trick-or-treat with the human children because everyone will think he is wearing a costume. Living in the basement of Ms. Celeste’s mansion can get boring even though she treats him and his family so nicely.

What struck me first when reading this book was the way Toby and the other monsters interacted with Celeste. This relationship is a special one since Celeste is very protective of the monsters. The Marymount mansion had been passed down from generation to generation and the monsters were the secret that came with the large house.

Toby has the best time trick-or-treating and wants to be able to go out and explore more frequently. Many times it’s what we don’t know that we are the most curious about. Toby knows that he is not human but is so interested in what human children do and what they are like.

This book is adorable and teaches kids that it’s okay to be different. Toby ends up realizing that even the humans he sees are all different and they have all different pets as well. The Monsters of Marymount is a fun, Halloween-themed book that will teach children and adults that being different is what makes each one of us special. I especially loved the part where Toby farts a cotton candy smell. As a Mom of three boys, this would have been much more pleasant than the human boy farts I have had to endure.

Children will be drawn to this book by its colorful cover with a picture of Toby smiling and the whimsical font used for the title. The book just looks like it will be a fun read! With a character-driven plot and sweet illustrations throughout, The Monsters of Marymount will make children smile, laugh, and cheer from cover to cover.