The Monster Garden

by Vivien Alcock

Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Born September 23, 1924, in Worthing, Sussex, England; died October 11, 2003, in London, England. Author. Alcock was a bestselling author of mystery and fantasy fiction for young adults. Her early training and career, however, was in commercial art, and she attended the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts from 1940 to 1942. She left school to become an ambulance driver for the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II; after the war, she held several different jobs, including as an artist for the duplicating firm Gestetner Ltd. from 1947 to 1953. This was followed by three years as an employment bureau manager; and from 1956 to 1964 Alcock worked as a secretary for Whiltington Hospital in London. Although she had enjoyed storytelling and novels since she was a child, Alcock was shy about trying to be a published author and was content to stay in the background behind her famous author husband, Leon Garfield. However, she did occasionally give him ideas for his books, such as the popular Smith stories. It was not until 1980, therefore, that she finally published her first novel for teenagers, The Haunting of Cassie Palmer. Alcock continued writing fantasies, ghost stories, and mysteries through 2001, many of which proved popular with teens and some of which were adapted to television as movies and series. She published almost two dozen books in all, including Travelers by Night (1983), The Cuckoo Sister (1985), The Monster Garden (1988), A Kind of Thief (1992), Time Wreck (1996), A Gift on a String (1998), Ticket to Heaven (2000), and her last book, The Boy Who Swallowed a Ghost (2001). Several of her novels were named notable books by the American Library Association (ALA), and The Monster Garden was named the best science fiction/fantasy book of 1988 by the ALA.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frances and her older brothers long for the approval of their distant scientist father. When 12-year-old David steals a bit of experimental waste material during a laboratory visit, Frances makes him share it with her. Although she is too young to understand how to conduct a proper experiment, a fortuitous combination of factors causes her material to grow into a sentient creature. Afraid that either she or the strange animal "Monnie" will be punished, Frances enlists some school friends and the gardener to help her hide the creature. But for how long can they keep it concealed? Especially since Frances' nervous behavior is sufficient to be noticed by even her usually-indifferent parent.

In addition to the more exciting monster plot, Alcock does an excellent job developing nuanced characters and having them interact and misunderstand one another.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing story is about a girl who is rarely noticed by anyone in her family and always fighting for attention from her siblings but when she has a new monster friend she wants nothing to do with it. I love this book Because it has so much creative writing. I learned that scientist are always trying to find a new livestock or crop by mutation.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, at least I remember it being. Please remember this was years ago, and I've only just today remembered the title. Still, it kept me occupied for a little while, and for a novel to have done that and stick in my mind for so many years, it says something.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankie's scientist dad is rather distant, but both she and her brother don't quite know what he does in the lab. When her brother brings home some goop from the labs which was scheduled for disposal, Frankie begs for half of it to see what it will do. What it does (fed with a drop of her blood) is grow into a baby monster. Now how will Frankie cope with taking care of and hiding it? With the help of her friends, of course.

It reads a bit like Elizabeth Enright and Edward Eager do science fiction together. :) A slight but charming book with a happy ending of the creature-goes-off-to-a-safe-new-home type.

[Heather Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book as a child and it still makes me cry! Wonderful.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

'I didn't want it any more. I didn't like it. I didn't like anything about it; its crimson eyes, its eating habits - and especially the way it kept growing. It wasn't natural. Nothing could grow that quickly. And yet it had.'
The day she acquired some living tissue from the genetic engineering laboratory was the day Frankie's life changed for ever. She'd never imagined her experiement would be so successful, but how will she keep the growing monster a secret from her family?
The Monster Garden was shortlisted for the Smarties, Whitbread, Guardian and Federation of Children's Book Groups Awards, and was commended for the Carnegie Medal.

(Cover illustrated by Holly Warburton)

A quick read, could be done in one sitting (many short chapters, so also a good one to take on a trip to read in spurts). Has themes of male chauvenism, bad parenting, lots of biological content, and the characters have quite a bit of depth for such a short book (could have more, but hey, not complaining). There's a jealous friendship triangle, and ethical dilemmas.

Frankie Stein rather lives up to her name... ;)

Not a tear jerker (though I was moved - doesn't take much), but has the expected bittersweet ending.

[Arliegh Kovacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Monster Garden Alcock presents a story of a young girl whose (emotionally distant) father works at a mysterious "secret" lab in their town. The rumors are that this institution might be working on military weapons or germ warfare...
One day, Frankie's [I realize it was part of the story set-up but, seriously, what kind of parents would name their child 'Francis Stein' and then call her Frankie???] brother brings home a strange substance that one of the researchers at the lab discarded. Frankie twists David's arm into giving her some of it. As he does, she puts it into a small dish with a drop of her blood... And that night, through her open window, lightning strikes the substance in the dish. In the next days, Frankie watches her 'monster' grow and develop new abilities. Finally, she goes to her brother for help -- only to find out that nothing came of his experiment and he is slicing the bits to examine under his microscope.
Now, Frankie fears that if she tells David or their father, her little monster (Monnie) will be taken to the lab and cut up for study. She finally confides in someone else to get their help... and then the number of confidants increases until the secret finally gets out. What can Frankie do to keep Monnie safe? And where can she find a place for him/her to thrive?
My nine year-old grandson and I both enjoyed this one.

[Taylor Ren’e Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was kind of a whirlwind of young emotions and adventures. I loved the young heroine Frankie and how she passionately protected her little "Monnie". Her friends were delightfully realistic and the relationship development very enjoyable. The perfect light read for a sunny afternoon.

[Stephie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago, so I don't remember it in clear detail, but I do remember loving it and being enchanted by the story and the monster. A shaping book from my childhood!

[Lydia]

Frances or fondly known as Frankie (and was teased as Frankenstein in school) did not expect the mysterious goo given to her by her older brother would grow into a frog-like monster. It wasn't the kind of typical monster that we would normally imagine; huge, ferocious and loved to indulge in human flesh. It was smaller and it look very much like a frog, only bigger. Frankie named it Monnie. As Monnie grew bigger, Frankie let Hazel, John, Alf and Julia into her secret. They thought it was better for Frankie to tell an adult about it as "adults know best". However Frankie wasn't very keen on the idea of telling her father so she made them promised to keep Monnie a secret until Frankie's eldest brother come home. He was her favourite brother and she decided that he would know what to do. Unfortunately, he extended his stay with his friends and dashed Frankie's hopes. Julia got upset when she knew about it as she thought Frankie had lied to them about her brother's homecoming; so upset that she told Frankie's father. Hazel frantically told Frankie what Julia had done and without further thinking, Frankie ran to ______ Creek (I can't remember what Creek) bringing Monnie along. After having Monnie placed in safety, Frankie got lost and couldn't made home in time.

What happens after that, I can't explain the storyline as well as the author. The best way would be reading The Monster Garden itself.

[GIDDINGS LIBRARY · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the sweet young heroine in this book and how she passionately protected her little "Monnie" Her friends were delightfully realistic, and the relationship development between the characters was very enjoyable. A perfect read for young fans of Frankenstein, Goosebumps, or science mysteries. Find it at the Giddings Public Library under JF ALC. - Miss Taylor

[Angela Tafri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thought about this book for over 30 years and finally got my hands on it again. It is still a favourite for me. This was the first book I ever picked up and read for leisure. Vivien Alcock sparked the love for books in me, and I haven't stopped reading since.

[Tomatosandwiches · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd book, but I actually ended up enjoying it more then I thought it would.

[Cheryl]

openlibrary

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids quite enjoyed it

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason this story stuck in my head all these years... probably, I dunno, like 25 years? It was so interesting, going back and reading it, the things I missed as a kid. For instance, I have absolutely no recollection of the story taking place in England! And the writing isn't very good, but that's not necessarily something I knew back then. The main character is also a bit annoying at times. The story was cute, though, and the ending satisfactory :)

**PS, thank you to the community for helping me remember the name of this book!! It was driving me bonkers**

[H. Givens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie Stein is the daughter of a research scientist. She accidentally creates a baby monster with unwanted cells from her father's laboratory, which first scares her and then starts endearing itself to her (and the rest of us.) She enlists a girl who's good with babies/animals to help her take care of it and keep it secret, so that no evil scientists can take it away. But the monster keeps growing...

My favorite thing about this book is the way Monnie, the monster, is treated by the author. I love him/her/it to death, but I'm never told "here, you're supposed to love this." My second favorite part is the relationship between Frankie and Monnie and how it grows, how well I come to understand them over the course of the story.

A lot of basic kid themes are present, including sibling rivalry and the special dynamic friendship has at that age. (And the friendship subplot is one of the most believable things in the book. You'll know what I mean when you read it, it's not what you're usually fed in these books.) I really like Frankie, and how practical she is with herself even while she's having a completely emotional and impractical reaction to something. She's the kind of person I'd like to be my friend, and when I'm reading The Monster Garden it's like she is. I always cry at the end.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frances Stein's brother, David, steals a test tube of gray goop from their father's genetics laboratory. Frances blackmails David into letting her have some of the goop. She combines the goop with a few drops of her blood. During the night, lightning strikes the strange concoction and brings it to life. Feeling that she must tell someone, Frances confides in Julia and John Hobson. Julia reacts with horror and distaste when she sees the gray, shapeless monster. John, however, becomes a valuable ally. Many fun days are spent building a monster hutch and watching Monnie grow hands and feet. One day, David comes home early and finds the group playing with Monnie. Frances grabs her monster and runs to a secluded woodland creek where she plans to release him. When Monnie is attacked by local bullies, Frances has a chance to prove her undying friendship.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Kevin Jacobsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young preteen named Frankie accidentally creates a monster after playing with who father, a scientist's genetic experiments. Who brother curious as to what the father does in his top- secret lab steals goo from the lab. He gives some of the goo to Frankie and her goo turns into a monster. This book is great for ages nine to twelve. Teachers could use this to tell their students not steal because you never know what may happen.

[Fatatat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel I ever read and I really liked it, I remember staying up all night to read it.
The story is about a girl who "aquires" a substance from her fathers testing laboratory, This matter then evolves into a animal which out grows anything that the girl can provide for it so she has to set it free.
A great book for a young teenager with a wondering imagination!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this so many years ago when it was given to me as a gift. I was the right age for it. It was as good as I remembered and with my adult eyes able to see more. It had a message but was overtly in your face and I appreciated that. Frankie is a very believable girl.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly beautiful book. It was one of those random cheap books my Nan used to pick up for me, that I guess aren't very popular. Some of those books were duds, but not this one. It's a truly beautiful story that I would recommend anyone to read.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was young, but I picked it up on Halloween while giving out candy to Trick or Treaters.

Cute, fast read. It has a cute underlying message. For a young audience.

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this in Year 7 English!

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

D. children's fiction, science fiction, mom's stash, discard

[Elí Santiago Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie is my hero... so brave in the moments of truth.