What can you do when even your marmalade seems to be haunted? You may be joking...Actually not, and if you don´t believe me, ask Max and his friends. Max Who? Monster Max, this boy who turns into a monster when he burbs...
Created as a kind of detective story, Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost, written by Robin Bennett and illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disburg is the kind of book that a 2nd grade and even a bit older will take it very seriously. It resonates fully with the age - of the boys, but some curious girls can get into the game as well - when mystery is all around. But not the magic kind of mystery, but the one who happens now and then and where your strength and intelligence is required to be solved. After all, little people at this age are full of responsibility anyway.
My son is a couple of months away from this age, but after reading him some fragments - after all, I could not have been so selfish and keep this delicious, marmalade-tasting book only for myself - he sounded very serious about how and where the monster(s) can be found. I can see him in a couple of years time devouring my crime novels as well, I am very serious about it.
In addition to the story in itself, the pace and the vocabulary are perfectly matching. The characters are exactly how do you expect some naughty boy to be like. Even the monsters seem to have something from them, the kind of boys you don´t want to meet when they had a really really bad day.
The alternation between text and illustration is perfect for a limited attention span. The little reader can figure out what the Max and the boys are dealing with and the illustrations are too funny to not like them. Even if they are not so friendly monsters, anyway.
The book has a story, animated characters of all kinds and a mystery on the go. It is a perfect weekend companion, including when the boys do have a sleep over. Who knows, they can solve the mystery faster...
Rating: 4 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own
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