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The Monstore
Last updated Monday, October 6, 2014
Author: Tara Lazar
Illustrator: James Burks
Date of Publication: 2013
ISBN: 1442420170
Grade Level: 1st (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2014
Synopsis:
The Monstore is a one-stop shop for all your monsterly needs in this enormously funny story that’s full of friendly, kooky creatures.
At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gumballs, there’s a trapdoor.
Knock five times fast, hand over the bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside The Monstore.
The Monstore is the place to go for all of your monsterly needs. Which is perfect, since Zack definitely has a monsterly need. The problem? His pesky little sister, Gracie, who never pays attention to that “Keep Out” sign on Zack’s door—the one he has made especially for her.
But when Zack’s monsters don’t exactly work as planned, he soon finds out that the Monstore has a few rules: No refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions.
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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What do you think you would find for sale at the Monstore?
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Would you like to go shopping at the Monstore?
Vocabulary:
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sprinted - ran at top speed especially for a short distance
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hideous - horribly ugly or disgusting; frightful
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monstrosity - an outrageous or ugly thing
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tiara - a decorative headband worn by women on special occasions
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fiendishly - enthusiastically devoted to something
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Where is the Monstore? How do you enter?
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What did Zack ask Manfred the monster to do? Mookie? Mojo?
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Why did Zack want a refund for each monster?
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What were Gracie and the monsters afraid of?
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What was Gracie's "monster of an idea"?
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What kinds of monsters do you think will be for sale at the Monstore 2?
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| Craft ideas: |
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Make monsters out of cut-out shapes. Cut circles, triangles, and squares out of construction paper and glue them together. Give the monsters googly eyes.
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| Special activities: |
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Clean the craft supplies fiendishly fast, just as Gracie and the monsters cleaned Zack's room.
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March like Gracie and the monsters.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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