Wonkenstein

The Creature From My Closet #1

by Obert Skye

Twelve-year-old underachiever Rob has better things to do than read. His parents give him lots of books but most of them just end up in the messy pile of junk he keeps locked in his closet that once doubled as a makeshift science laboratory. One day, Rob hears weird sounds coming from behind his closet door and discovers a funny little creature that seems to be a cross between two characters from books he's tried to ignore. He names him Wonkenstein.

Keeping track of "Wonk" is hard work. But with help from friends and a little off-the-wall magic, Rob and Wonkenstein's crazy adventures set the stage for great laughs . . . and Rob might even read some good books along the way.

Genres: Humor, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Graphic Novels

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2011

About the author

Obert Skye read his first book at age two. He wrote his first story at age four. And he was nearly trampled by a herd of water buffalo at age six. For a short time, he lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where he spent time as a candy-taster. Several years ago, Obert Skye says, he discovered the existence of Foo. Publishing his story as a fictional series was not Obert’s first choice. Nevertheless he is content that the “history” is being told.

Hobbies and other interests: Collecting old maps, water polo, roller coasters.

Reviews

[Rishwanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!!!

SO THIS BOY NAMED ROBERT COLOMBO BURNSIDE HAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS LIKE HE HAS A WEIRD DOORKNOB AND HE CALLS THIS GUY IN HIS DOORKNOB BEARDY HE ALWAYS SMILES AT ROBERT AND WINKS AT HIM AND HIS BEST FRIEND IS TREVOR AND HIS FRIENDS ARE JACK, ROURK,AARON AND TEDDY. AND HE HAS A SISTER NAMED LIBBY COLOMBO BURNSIDE AND HE HAS A SMALL BROTHER NAMED PUFFIN BUT ROBERT COULD NOT SAY PUFFIN SO HE CALLS HIM TUFFIN COLOMBO BURNSIDE

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Columbo Burnside is a twelve-year-old boy. He hates reading and cleaning, and is just beginning to like girls. His closet is full of failed science experiments, books his mother gave him, and whatever else he can fit inside. One day, a creature pops out. It seems to be a cross between Willy Wonka and Frankenstein's monster, so Rob decides to call it Wonkenstein, Wonk for short. Hilarity ensues. As Rob tries to deal with being in seventh grade, impress Janae, and hide Wonk, a series of misunderstandings lead up to him standing in front of the whole school, forced to read a dramatic poem. Somehow, everything works out.

This book is definitely written for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which I am. I enjoyed it. It was pretty predictable, definitely geared more toward a younger audience, but a fun read. I really enjoyed the illustrations as well.

Content Advisory: None, except a very large belch at one point.

[Lou Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one evening and a quick follow up. Short, quick, but laugh out loud funny. Especially the illustrations!

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Robert Burnside's closet is like an earth-bound black hole: matter goes into it, and comes out changed into something completely different…plus, it's alive! So Rob does what any normal kid would do--he burgles, burps, and bungles his way through one disaster after another until the only thing left to do is completely humiliate himself by reciting poetry onstage. Is Wonkenstein the monster of doom, or could there be an upside?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; substance abuse G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: Give this one to any kid who likes Diary of a Wimpy Kid or the Origami Yoda series. Skye has a funny narrative style and even draws his own cartoon pictures! (Not sure the book will get him the absolution he seeks from former teachers, but if not, he can cry all the way to the bank.) Oh yeah--is it dumb? Totally. But let's face it…that's what this particular audience is looking for, and Skye delivers.

Annotation with spoilers: We meet Robert Columbo Burnside in Chapter 1 and are introduced to his closet: a convenient way of keeping his room clean that doesn't involve actual cleaning. His dad bought a strangely heavy door at a garage sale--one with a strange gold handle with a stamped-on face that happens to change expressions occasionally, and hung it in Rob's room. Clearly this is no normal closet.

His dad sells lame toys, and his mom spends most of her time sleeping on the couch. Rob has an annoying older sister (some funny cartoons about her) and a bothersome little brother named Tuffin. Rob has just completed one of his clean-ups by stuffing everything into the closet when he notices the door is stuck. For days, he can't get it open--but when he eventually hears a knock on the other side, the door mysteriously swings free to reveal Wonkenstein: a three-foot-high combination of Willy Wonka and Frankenstein (both of which books had been covered with goo from a science experiment gone bad, and allowed to stew until ithe result came to life…kind of like the Big Bang in that respect).

After dealing with the problem of believing that Wonkenstein can even exist, Rob has to figure out what to do with him. In a moment of carelessness, he lets his friend Jack watch the little guy. The next thing he knows, Jack has dressed Wonkenstein in his sister's dance recital costume and jewelry, and the creature has run away to take refuge in their mean neighbor's house. The rescue involves breaking and entering, and eventually the mean neighbor's son, Ogre, gets busted for stealing Jack's sister's property, which got left behind during the rescue (Ogre gets caught showing it off at school). To make things worse, Rob's parents catch him coming in from really late at night after the rescue, and they ground him forever. Next, Wonkenstein lets off a terrible belch when JaNae, the cute girl down the street, is around, and she thinks it's Rob being totally socially unacceptable.

Rob and Wonkenstein realize the only way they can get everyone in the same place to listen to Rob's explanations is to participate in the school-wide poetry reading event. Even though he knows it's social suicide, he and Wonk write a poem about all the "Misunderstandings" in his life and Rob recites it--and wins first place! JaNae decides he's less lame than she thought and decides to like him again; he and Jack confess to Mr. Pang about the break-in and make things right with Ogre and the cops, and before you know, Wonkenstein realizes his work here is done…so it's back into closet and on to his next adventure. Rob is sad for a few days, until there's another knock on the closet door, and out comes…the Potterwookiee. On to book 2!

[Braden Merry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a average book. The main part of the book was about a creature from Rob's closet that he named Wonkenstein because the creature was have Willy Wonka and half Frankenstein. At the end of the story, the problem isn't really solved. Wonkenstein just goes back in to the closet. Although, it did not solve the problem very well, it was a funny book. It made me laugh a few times. I suggest this book for 4th - 6th graders. Pass the 6th grade, I think this would too easy of a book to read. I hope you get the chance to read it.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready for a great read that will make you laugh out loud? I loved this book, it kept me laughing and it kept me reading... there's a sequel to this one that I'll be purchasing soon!
Robert has this great, big closet that he soon discovers is a fabulous place for storing things, stashing things, especially when it comes time to "clean".
However, one day a "little man" comes out of his closet. He half grunts, half talks about "Charlie". If only Robert had read some of his books he'd understand that this little man is half Frankenstein, half Willy Wonka. After adventures together, a few misadventures, and after reading a couple of books, Robert figures out most of his problems.
Fans of "Wimpy Kid" or "Dork Diaries" or "Big Nate" will enjoy this book!

[Susan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goofy, but a fun read! I'd enjoy reading more in the series. (Library)

[Lauren Gulisane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rob has better things to do than read the copious amount of books his parents thrust at him. Instead, he thrusts them in his closet along with the mess from his room, old science experiments, and anything else he wants to keep out of sight. But one day, strange noises can be heard from his closet, and Rob must figure out what to do with the creature he calls Wonkenstein (half Willy Wonka, half Frankenstein).

To be honest, this was not my favorite book. I liked the premise of a kid having to read books that a creature is based off of in order to figure out what to do with that creature, but I don't feel like this book really delivered on that thought. Reading the books actually was more of a passive moment in Rob's life; Skye opted to spend more time focusing on Rob's personal life as he tries to navigate school and some of the embarrassing situations that come up from trying to hide a unpredictable creature from your closet.

This book wasn't bad. It's probably perfect for a middle-aged kid who will enjoy the jokes, turn-of-phrase humor, and hand-drawn pictures. It just wasn't the book for me. I think we will be skipping the rest of this series.

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book that would be a great choice for middle grade boys who are reluctant readers. Lots of humorous drawings to fit in with the story of a boy with a crazy closet door and all the mishaps that happen when a 1/2 Willy Wonka and 1/2 Frankenstein creature appears!

"Twelve-year-old underachiever Rob has better things to do than read. His parents give him lots of books but most of them just end up in the messy pile of junk he keeps locked in his closet that once doubled as a makeshift science laboratory. One day, Rob hears weird sounds coming from behind his closet door and discovers a funny little creature that seems to be a cross between two characters from books he’s tried to ignore. He names him Wonkenstein. Keeping track of “Wonk” is hard work. But with help from friends and a little off-the-wall magic, Rob and Wonkenstein’s crazy adventures set the stage for great laughs . . . and Rob might even read some good books along the way."

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

/Rob is a middle school guy with a typical older sister, who loves herself, a much younger brother, who needs to be entertained, a mother who has no energy and is always asleep on the couch and a busy salesman father, who lives to sell playground equipment. His friends range from nerdy to weird and his mother would rather he had better friends.
Rob is not a reader, he does not like school and likes cleaning even less. So when he has to clean up his room, he shoves it all in a closet that was a makeshift science lab, but, hey, it's off the floor. But one day a strange little creature who looks like a split between Willy Wonky and Frankenstein comes walking out of his closet and the closet stays locked tight no matter what they try to do so that Wonkenstein cannot go back where he came from.
But a friendship develops and Wonkenstein helps Robert to find new ways of looking at things and also gets him in some very hairy situations. A lot of fun and great illustrations.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book has a more or less inventive premise, the titular character’s hijinks and the subsequent troubles they caused for Robert Burnside made me more irritated than anything else. Robert is your typical foolish kid whose problems arise simultaneously from carelessness, bad friends and poor decisions. From playing pickleball with his little brother to entering illegally into a neighbor’s home, Rob just makes one bonehead move after another.

The story isn’t helped by the awkward childish drawings (reminiscent of the line drawings in the Dork diaries). They don’t appeal to me and make me think the author might have been better served by taking an art class.

This book is best for children ten and under; older children may find this too juvenile and idiotic to please their tastes.

[Tiffany Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, I would give this book a 3. Accordingly my child gave it a 4 - target audience is children so that is where this review will go. Wonkenstein, a creature that comes from the worst, disgusting closet, is a blend of Wonka - from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Frankenstein, from Mary Shelley’s novel. There a few allusions to both and clarification even that Frankenstein is the doctor’s name that creates the monster, and not the monster’s name (which should be cleared up for young readers who haven’t read the novel yet.) Wonkenstein brings trouble and adventure for our protagonist, Rob, Robert, Ribbet. With trouble and adventure is learning and finding boundaries, which are great lessons learned.

[Twillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone who came to life from two books touching each other in a closet came from a different world shows an average boy how wonky things can help you be better than the best just from getting to school with him. Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ashlin Edmisten · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are fun to read aloud and entertaining. I love the story and what seems to be the lesson of the book - read good books and do what's right. The idea of mish-mashed characters is fun. It gives Rob the opportunity to mixed up in a lot of shenanigans.

I read these aloud to my son who is not quite ready to read chapter books. He loves the doodles on each page and is fascinated by the story.

[Mariann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun concept, but I was not a fan of the execution. There's a fine line between a book told from the point of view of a child and a book that seems written by a child. This was the latter in my opinion and it didn't help the story. I wanted to like this series for the concept, but couldn't get into it.

[Nisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Reading

What a cute story about learning to enjoy reading. My sons appreciated the funny pictures. They love to read and so didn't need the message of the book, but they loved it anyway. I think it would be great for reluctant readers between 8 and 11 years old.

[Kaykay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book had good detail and is a good book for all people. I like how the book had wonkenstein help Robert and made him a better person. It also has how Robert helped wonkenstein stay safe and out of trouble it was very caring of him.

[Ryan J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is comedic and a reader who grew up in a neighborhood with their friends can easily relate to this book, I know I can. The creatures personality has features from both Willy Wonka and Frankenstein.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super creative and fun way to introduce my 3rd grader to some great characters from literature. We are really looking forward to the rest of this series.

[Emili · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son convinced me to read this series because he's obsessed and it was really cute :)

[Haley Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good but i think it could of been a little bit better.I could kind of relate with the character Robert because we are the same age.

[Liz Hedgpeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for my 11 yr old son who says he hates to read. I️ have caught him in bed with a flashlight reading these books!!! It’s awesome!!!

[Charlie K · Rating 2 out of 5]

lit

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny with great illustrations. My 10 year old daughter loved it! Can't wait to read the sequel.

[Madhimedha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for middle school kids and Diary Of A Wimpy Kid fans.

[PirateFiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is a very good book and full of anventure you will never know what wonkenstien will do next

[Sevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book with funny references and awesome plot! You don't need to read these in order.

[BryanNuetron · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a good book.

[QIUNDRE WALD]

Very interesting

[Heidi Mcjunkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for the 7-12 set. Good writing and fun illustrations.