Literature Springboard
I Need My Monster
Author: Amanda Noll
Flashlight Press
c. 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0-9799746-2-5
Nothing is more satisfying than using a good
picture book as a vehicle for capturing the
imagination of your young students while
teaching some of the important pre-writing
concepts which serve as the foundation for
narrative writing!
Objectives:
• Summarize a character/problem/solution narrative and identify key story elements:
main character, story problem, solution
• Students will listen for and identify elaborative detail describing the character (monsters)
• Students will listen for and identify elements of suspense (story questions)
• Students will write a sample of elaborative detail about an imaginary monster
Teacher Background:
Most picture books fall into the character/problem/solution genre in which a main character
struggles with and solves a problem and grows and changes in the process. By summarizing these
stories in terms of this character/problem/solution framework, students begin to see the underlying
organizational structure of the genre. This understanding will later serve as the foundation on
which they will create entertaining narratives of their own. This reading/writing connection is a
powerful tool in scaffolding learning!
Supporting Resources:
Getting Ready to Write, The Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide, Easy Art Activities that
Spark Super Writing. These Empowering Writers resources will support and inform this lesson
and will inspire similar lessons! See our online store for details!
(continued…)
Procedure:
Summary: Using the following Character-Problem-Solution Summarizing
Framework as a guide (also found on page 30 of your K-1 Getting Ready to Write or
page 29 of your Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide,) have your children identify
the Character-Problem-Solution in the story:
This story is about a boy named Ethan.
(identifies the main point-of-view character)
The problem was that Ethan couldn’t go to sleep because his monster under his bed,
Gabe, went fishing for a week.
(identifies the story problem the main character faces)
The problem was solved when Gabe came back from fishing and Ethan was able to get to sleep.
(identifies the solution to the story problem)
Elaborative Detail:
While most of the great description of the monsters occurs through the
pictures in this book, there are fabulous describing words and phrases woven
throughout this story about imaginary monsters. It would be wise to go
through the pictures and talk about the description of each pictured monster.
After reading the story have the children identify description of the monsters from the story. Reread to the
children, chart their responses.
Some ideas from the story to chart:
• ragged breathing
• nose-whistling
• scrabbling of his uncut claws
• low breathy voice
• high, silky voice
• jagged and dark and razor sharp
• sleekly brushed fur with smooth, shiny claws
Suspense:
• familiar scary noises and spooky green ooze
Suspense is portrayed throughout this story using the technique of questioning. What
is great about this story is that the suspense starts on the third page (Would a new
monster appear? What would he be like? Would his snorting be as cheerful as Gabe’s?)
Remember, if the character is wondering or worrying, so is the reader.
Writing Extension – Questioning:
As authors describe a critical character or object, they
first ask questions. Create a class list of questions that the
students can use to help them create their monsters.
Example:
• What kind/color of eyes?
• What kind/color of fur?
• What were its claws like?
• What size/shape/color of nose?
(continued…)
Respond to Questions Using Phrases:
After you have a complete list of open-ended questions that will help describe a monster, have your students
give descriptive phrases in response to each question. As the children are giving you descriptive phrases of
the monsters from the pictures of the story or from their own imaginations, chart their responses.
Example: (to help build vocabulary, chart many responses for each question)
What kind of eyes?
Three sets of bulging yellow eyes
Ping-pong ball-like eyes
What kind of fur/scales?
Purple shaggy fur
Green dragon-like scales running down its back and tail
What were its claws like?
Long, dagger-like fingernails
Manicured fingernails polished in hot pink
What kind of ears or horns?
Long horns that reminded me of a bull
What kind of mustache or beard did it have?
A fine, black handlebar mustache
A long, white beard that comes to a point at the end
Model Elaborative Detail:
Now MODEL an elaborative segment for the children using the responses that you charted to create a
paragraph describing an imaginative monster.
Example:
Under my bed was an unusual monster. His large body was covered with purple shaggy
fur, dotted with light blue spots. I couldn’t believe that he had two sets of ping-pong
ball-like eyes. Two large horns that reminded me of a bull protruded out from the sides of
his enormous round head. My heart raced as I saw his razor sharp dagger claws. His long
scaly tail thumped on the ground as his long tongue licked his pink botoxed lips.
Guided Practice:
Have the children try one of their own, creating their own monsters!
(continued…)
Art Connection:
Bed Flap Book
Materials:
Art Connection Procedure:
1) Taking a large piece of manila construction
paper, draw and color a detailed bed (using
the whole piece of construction paper). Don’t
forget to draw in a bed skirt — after all, that
is where the monster is hiding!
• Manila Construction Paper
2) Glue piece of construction paper underneath
the bed legs and bed skirt.
• Crayons
3) Cut the sides of bed skirt from the bed frame.
• Glue
4) Fold the bed skirt up to create a lift the flap.
5) Draw and color a detailed picture of
imaginary monster under the flap.
(continued…)
Extended Link Lesson:
One more thing this book lends itself to is using other words in place of “said.”
For more information on this topic, turn to our “Put Said To Bed” activity on
page 105 in Getting Ready to Write.
Some examples from the book:
• complained
• replied
• whispered
• rasped
• snapped
• admitted
• sniffed
• whined
• warned
• growled