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May 14, 2024

Imaginative adventure teaches kids to stand up to monsters, ghosts & their peers

“Frankinschool: Monster Match” by Caryn Rivadeneira Red Chair Press/TNS School’s a challenge even when you’re not an undead monster. Or being divebombed by bats. Or being haunted. Let’s back up.

“Frankinschool: Monster Match” by Caryn Rivadeneira Red Chair Press/TNS

School’s a challenge even when you’re not an undead monster. Or being divebombed by bats. Or being haunted.

Let’s back up. “Frankinschool: Monster Match” by Caryn Rivadeneira (Red Chair Press) is a rollicking adventure through the perils of school, but with a supernatural twist. When Fred and his frenemy Luisa get caught up in a mysterious incantation during class, they need to work together to break the spell and return their school — and themselves — back to normal.

Fred’s had a difficult week. He was home sick, which meant he missed the author who visited school to do a book signing. And even though Fred’s mom filled out the sheet for Fred to get a copy of Limbo Lessons — and made to spell out F-R-E-D — the copy that Fred gets is addressed to Frank!

His classmate Luisa tells him that “maybe the author knows something you don’t … or, maybe you’re still Fred at home, but Frank in school.”

Fred’s been dealing with Luisa’s teasing for a while, and he’s getting pretty sick of it. So when the class gets a creative writing project, he decides he’s going to vent and embrace being Frankinschool — a monster who would train bats and cats to eat homework and invite ghosts to roam the halls. And Luisa would not be allowed to join in.

The problem is that Fred’s words seem to activate some type of curse! The entire class, and soon the entire school, is struck by a spell that leaves everyone fast asleep. Everyone, that is, except Fred — now looking very Frankensteinian — and Luisa! Despite their differences, the two must work together to get to the bottom of what’s happening and undo the enchantment. Hopefully then, Frankinschool can lose the green skin and the bolts in his neck.

Along with themes of creativity and problem-solving, “Frankinschool: Monster Match” isn’t afraid to discuss the complexity of social dynamics in school, and how children should and shouldn’t treat their peers. Young readers will most likely recognize the way Luisa pokes fun at Fred — a way that Luisa seems to think is funny, but Fred finds hurtful.

Even as they try to work together, the conflict between them hampers their investigation into the strange occurrences. It’s only when they acknowledge past hurts that they make headway in their adventure.

“I guess, I thought you knew I was teasing. I thought you liked me. I didn’t know you didn’t want me around.”

“I don’t not like you,” Frankinschool said. “I don’t like being called dumb. It bugs me. Even if you are teasing.”

Through its characters’ own discussion, Frankinschool: Monster Match shows readers how to be assertive to their classmates. It reminds children that how we treat each other matters, and that speaking up about unfair treatment can go a long way.

In the end, not only do Frank and Luisa save the school from the unending sleep, but they also form a bond over their shared experience. “Frankinfriends forever,” Fred tells Luisa. With their example, children can feel confident in their ability to stand up for themselves in the face of ghosts, monsters and their peers.

Johnson Newspapers 7.1

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