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The Boy Who Made Monsters by Jenny Pearson – Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

There are a lot of different types of monster. Some live at the bottom of lochs, some are found far out at sea and some swim about in the depths of your mind and these can be the scariest monsters of all – if you let them.

Benji McLaughlin is a visionary. He believes in things that other people think are impossible, like that he and his brother Stanley will be happy in their new home in Scotland, and that the Loch Lochy monster exists, and that his parents will come home safely one day, even though they’ve been missing for months.

When he finds out that his Uncle Hamish’s Loch Lochy tourist business is struggling, and it looks like Benji and Stanley might lose another home, Benji’s not worried. He has a plan. If he can show everyone that the Loch Lochy monster exists, people will flock to come and see it, and the business will flourish again.

Together with his new friend Murdy and Mr Dog, the best dog in the world, Benji sets off to capture evidence of the monster, even if he has to get a little creative. But Benji might end up confronting more monsters than he expects.

About the Author

Jenny Pearson has been awarded six mugs, one fridge magnet, one wall plaque and numerous cards for her role as Best Teacher in the World. When she is not busy being inspirational in the classroom, she would like nothing more than to relax with her two young boys, but she can’t as they view her as a human climbing frame. Her debut novel, The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and selected as a Waterstones Book of the Month.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_C_Pearson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/J_C_Pearson/

What I Thought

The Boy Who Made Monsters follows Benji and his brother Stanley up to a Scottish Loch to live with their uncle after their parents go missing. The story is told from eleven year old Benji’s perspective and as such I would say this is on the younger end of middle grade.

Benji is an entertaining narrator who despite all the upheaval in his life is willing to go all in to help his uncle’s ailing business and he takes us along for the ride with a lot of humour. I can’t help thinking that this is also a note to us all to look out for the people we think as coping well when something difficult happens. Under the surface all may not be well and their flippers may be paddling wildly.

The topic of grief is approached with sensitivity and we get to see a few different ways that individuals cope with it. The relationship between Benji and his brother Stanley was well developed, from standard sibling fights to fighting for your sibling.

Benji’s new friend Murdy McGurdy was a delight although I have to admit that I think Mr Dog was my favourite character, there is one illustration included in the book that made me want to give him the biggest boop.

There is a good mix of adventure and emotion in this story and I think it’s one that you would get even more from reading for a second time.

This is the third book by Jenny that I have read and enjoyed and she really is a master at mixing humour with the more serious experiences children may have to face.

See also my review of Freddie Yates here.

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates – Blog Tour Guest Post by author Jenny Pearson

Thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours and the publisher Usborne for the gifted copy. Opinions are all mine. Follow the tour by using the hashtag #TheBoyWhoMadeMonsters

Posted in Book Reviews

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates – Blog Tour Guest Post by author Jenny Pearson

Apr 29

Posted by kirstyes

“For now, while most of our adventures are confined to our living rooms, our imaginations are not.” Jenny Pearson, author of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates

About the Book

About the Author

Guest Post

As someone with Welsh heritage myself I was interested to know why Jenny had chosen to set the story in Wales. Read her answer below.

A Super Miraculous Setting

by Jenny Pearson

Why did you set The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates in Wales? It’s a question I get asked quite frequently. And the answer is because of the Scottish midges.

Most years, my family and I spend the summer in our Bongo campervan and the summer before I began writing Freddie Yates, we were considering a journey around Scotland. But when I googled what we might need for our proposed trip a full bee-keeper outfit was a suggestion. I began to think that maybe we should go to Scotland out of midge season and instead camp somewhere else. And that somewhere was Wales.

Having only been to Cardiff before, I soon discovered that Wales is an exceptionally beautiful country and one I will definitely visit again. That’s not to say Cardiff is without its charms but the Welsh countryside is truly spectacular, as is the coast. I like to go running and the sights I saw have weaved themselves into the book – the fields of sheep and the small track roads, the rocky shorelines and the wonderful old churches. In fact, Three Saints church in Llampha, where Freddie, Ben and Charlie spend a night is based on a church I stopped at when I needed a run-wee. And Freddie’s journey finishes at the most westernest part of Wales, St David’s, which is actually where my family’s camping trip came to an end after our tent was blown away at three in the morning. Fun times.

Because Freddie loves facts, I thought I might share some facts about Wales which might even make you want to visit yourself.

FACT 1 – You can see deep stuff!

The deepest cave in the whole of Britain can be found near Abercraf. Ogof Ffynnon Dddu is 1,010ft deep.

FACT 2 – You can see old stuff!

The oldest tree in Wales is the Llangernyw Yew in St Digain’schurch yard, Llangernyw, near Conwy. It’s approximately 4,000 years old!

FACT 3- You can see big stuff!

The great glasshouse in the National Botanical Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire, is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world, measuring 312ft in length and 180ft in width.

FACT 4 – You can see small stuff!

Rhos-on-sea has, in St Trillo’s, the smallest chapel in Britain, measuring only 11ft by 8ft and seating just six people.

FACT 5 – You can see uddery stuff!

The Mumbles are two little islands in Swansea bay. They get their name from the French word ‘mamelles’, meaning udders. Who wouldn’t want to go and see two islands that look like udders?

I think you’ll agree that I have provided a very compelling argument as to why you should visit Wales as well as explaining why I set my book there. Maybe one day you’ll enjoy a journey around Wales. If you do, you might want some reading material. Hey! Why don’t you try The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates?

Diolch am ddarllen (thanks for reading)!

Jenny Pearson

Authors note: The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates does not HAVE to be read in Wales. You can read it wherever you like. Eg in bed, on the loo even on a trampoline if you are very talented.

Also, Jenny has created some brilliant videos and challenges that’s she’s keen to get people joining in with so do join her! Her content will be hosted daily on Usborne’s YouTube channel from Monday 27th April – Friday 1st May with accompanying activity sheets – all available to download on Usborne.com/freddieyates. The Illustrator Rob Biddulph will even be doing a special Freddie Yates draw-along on publication day, Thursday 30 April!