Where the Wild Things Are

Sendak, Maurice. (1963). New York, NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.

Genre: Fantasy
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Lexile Measure: AD740L
DRA: 16
AR: 3.4


Summary: Max gets grounded by his mother for acting too wild. "Wild thing!", she shouts at him and sends him to his room without dinner. Max now a prisoner in his room, turns to his imagination to escape being isolated from everyone and everything else. He starts imagining his room turned in to a magical forest where the wild things live. He tames them and is named the King of All Wild Things. They all jump, run, fall, and bash one another, just what Max wants to do at home, but is not allowed. He finally has enough and sails back home because he misses being loved and a good supper.

Reader Response: This is a classic book that has inspire a movie, an opera, many plays, and most importantly the imaginations of young and old. Who hasn't been grounded and sent to their room without dinner? The book contains three hundred and thirty eight words and some of the illustrated pages are wordless, perfect for young readers. The story can be classified in to many themes that can be a topic of conversation with older readers. Interesting fact, the monster's in the story represent the author's aunts and uncles who he was scared of as a child.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll and There's a Nighmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer are other books that talk about monsters in a funny kind of way.