Monster vs. Boy by Karen Krossing

A moving middle-grade novel about unlikely friendships and facing our fears—or monsters!—perfect for fans of of Wendy Mass’s and Rebecca Stead’s Bob.

“Monstrously magical and delicious!”—William Alexander, National Book Award Winner for Goblin Secrets

“A heartfelt tale of meeting your monsters and setting them free.” —Linda Urban, acclaimed author of A Crooked Kind of Perfect

On the edge of town, a boy named Dawz lives with his sister and their uncle-turned-adoptive-father, Pop. No one in their ramshackle house knows that a monster—who is smaller than a bear cub—lives in Dawz’s bedroom closet. She calls herself Mim. 

When a series of events forces Mim to leave her closet, she sets out on a quest to unlock the magic of books, but will Dawz be willing to help her? 

The story of a monster who desperately wants to be seen and the reluctant boy who wishes he weren’t the only one who could, this exploration of found family, fear and mental health, and intergenerational trauma begs the question: What if the monsters that haunt us aren’t monsters at all?

Story Locale: Outskirts of a fictional rural town

Karen Krossing wrote comics and poetry as a kid and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today she is the author of many books for young readers, including picture books Sour Cakes and One Tiny Bubble and novels Bog, Cut the Lights, and Punch Like a Girl. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and regularly teaches writing workshops.

Author Residence: Toronto, Ontario

Author Hometown: Thornhill, Ontario