The Monster in the Backpack: Candlewick Sparks - Softcover

Moser, Lisa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763666432 ISBN 13: 9780763666439

Publisher: Candlewick, 2013

Synopsis

Having trouble with your backpack zipper? Maybe there’s a monster inside! A little girl slowly warms up to her unexpected guest in this funny story.

When Annie unzips her backpack and finds a monster inside, it’s hard to say who is more shocked. "AAAAHHHH!" yells the monster. "EEEEEEKKKK!" yells Annie. Then the monster proceeds to gobble up Annie’s sandwich, put gum in her boot, and tear up her homework to use as confetti for an "Annie is great" parade during class. With perfect comic timing, this charming story depicts a young girl’s shift from annoyance to affection as a disarming monster makes an untimely appearance.

About this title

About the Author:

LISA MOSER received a degree in early education with a concentration in reading from the University of Iowa. She taught fifth grade and got the idea for THE MONSTER IN THE BACKPACK— her first book — seven years ago from one of her students, who couldn’t open the zipper on her backpack. " ‘There must be a monster in there,’ I told the girl, and then I began to think, ‘What if there really was?’ "

NOAH Z. JONES is the illustrator of NOT NORMAN: A GOLDFISH STORY by Kelly Bennett, his first children's book. Of THE MONSTER IN THE BACKPACK, he says, "I laughed out loud when I first read Lisa's story. I couldn’t wait to start drawing. It was especially fun to create a monster who wasn't scary or mean but caused mischief unintentionally and with such gleeful abandon."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Annie's new backpack came with pink and blue flowers.
Annie's new backpack came with a zipper.
Annie's new backpack came with a monster.

Annie unzipped the backpack and peeked inside.
"AAAAHHH!" yelled the monster.

"EEEEEEKKKK!" yelled Annie.
Annie dropped the backpack and jumped across the sidewalk.

She waited one, two, three minutes.

Slowly, slowly she tiptoed across the sidewalk and peeked inside again.

"AAAAAHHHH!" yelled the monster.

"Do you ever whisper?" asked Annie.

"Do you ever knock?" asked the monster.

"How can I knock on a backpack?"

The monster scratched his head. "You're right," he said. "Next time, ring the doorbell."

"What are you doing in my backpack?" Annie asked.

"Eating a snack," said the monster, licking peanut butter off his paws.

"That's not a snack," said Annie. "That's my sandwich!" She reached into the backpack and pulled out some brown squishy things.

"I saved the crusts for you," said the monster.

"Yuck," said Annie. "What else did you save for me?"

"I'll see," said the monster. He dove into the backpack. He threw out an empty juice box, potato-chip crumbs, and a banana peel.

Finally, he popped up with a little bag in his paw. "I don't like carrots," said the Monster. "They make me burp."

Annie zipped the monster into the backpack. "I definitely don't need a
burping monster."

_______

THE MONSTER IN THE BACKPACK by Lisa Moser. Text copyright © 2006 by Lisa Moser. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0763666432
• ISBN 13: 9780763666439
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Jones Noah Z.