Read Aloud Hall of Fame #7: THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK by Jon Stone and Michael Smollin

You need a book. A can’t miss book. A read aloud that will cast a wide net and pull everyone in. This is the idea behind The 100 Scope Notes Read Aloud Hall of Fame.

In each post I’ll share a read aloud that has never let me down. Some will be obvious and popular. Others lesser-known. All will be story time gold.

Click here to see all the Read Aloud Hall of Fame inductees.

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin

Today we have a read aloud staple that is widely known and beloved: The Monster at the End of This Book. In the story, scaredy-cat Grover breaks the fourth wall and tries to convince the reader to stop turning pages before reaching the titular monster.

Grover tries all sorts of preventative tactics (like building a brick wall) to halt the reader, inviting kids to interact with the text to continue the fun. Originally published in 1971, this book was a metafiction pioneer, paving the way for stories like We Are in a Book and many others.

But the cherry on top? That comes after the big reveal, when Grover tries to tell the reader that they were afraid, but he wasn’t. A prefect conclusion to a book that I read every year with my Kindergarten students.

Extension Tip:

Finished reading the book? Head on over to PBS Kids, where you can play The Monster at the End of This Game.

Filed under: Read Aloud Hall of Fame