For a child who loves quirky characters and feels like an outsider, this whimsical adventure celebrates found families and embracing what makes you different.
A parent might reach for this book when their imaginative child feels a bit out of sync with the world and needs a story that celebrates being different. "Here Be Monsters!" is a sprawling, fantastical adventure about Arthur, an orphaned human boy raised by shy, box-wearing creatures called boxtrolls who live beneath the town of Ratbridge. When a villainous exterminator threatens to destroy his found family, Arthur must brave the human world to save them. The book explores deep themes of belonging, prejudice, found family, and the courage it takes to stand up for what's right. Its length and complex plot make it best for confident middle-grade readers who are ready for an epic and rewarding journey into a truly unique world.
Fantastical violence, including slapstick fights and the use of strange contraptions.
Sensitive Topics
The central theme is Arthur's status as an orphan and his adoption by the boxtrolls. This is a metaphorical and hopeful exploration of found family. The book also deals directly with social prejudice and persecution, as the boxtrolls are feared and hunted based on lies. The resolution is hopeful, with the community learning the truth and overcoming their prejudice. The villain's cruelty is direct but stays within a fantastical, non-graphic context.
Ideal Reader
A confident reader, age 10-12, who loves immersive world-building and is not intimidated by a long book. This is perfect for a child who feels like an outsider, has a strong sense of justice, and delights in quirky inventions, steampunk elements, and Roald Dahl-esque humor and villains.
Parent Prep
The book's length (over 500 pages) can be a hurdle, so it may be best read together or for a child who has stamina. Parents of more sensitive readers might want to preview chapters involving the villain, Archibald Snatcher, as his schemes are sinister and create moments of genuine peril for the main characters. Otherwise, it can be read cold. A parent sees their child feeling misunderstood or struggling to find their friend group. The child expresses that they feel different from their peers. Alternatively, the parent is looking for a substantial, engrossing fantasy epic for a voracious reader who loves detailed worlds and illustrations.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will primarily enjoy the fast-paced adventure, the humorous creatures, the zany inventions, and the clear good-versus-evil conflict. An older reader (11-12) will better appreciate the social satire, the commentary on classism and prejudice, and the intricate, detailed illustrations that are crucial to the world-building.
What Makes It Special
Its unique blend of detailed, cross-hatched illustrations (by the author) with the text is a key differentiator. The visual storytelling is as important as the prose. The book creates a sprawling, steampunk-influenced world that feels wholly original, combining whimsical humor with surprisingly dark villainy on an epic scale rarely seen in middle-grade fiction.
Read plot summary
Arthur Trubshaw, an orphaned boy, is raised in the sewers beneath the town of Ratbridge by boxtrolls: gentle, shy creatures who wear cardboard boxes and scavenge for spare parts. The town's human inhabitants have been taught to fear them by the villainous Archibald Snatcher, who aims to exterminate the boxtrolls to earn a place among the town's elite. Arthur, along with a girl named Marjorie and a cast of eccentric side characters, must venture into the human world he fears to expose Snatcher's lies and save his unconventional family.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The people of Ratbridge are afraid of the boxtrolls because of the stories they've been told. Why do you think it was so easy for Archibald Snatcher to make them believe his lies?
2
Arthur's family is made of boxtrolls. What do you think makes a group of people (or creatures) a family? Does it have to be people you are related to?
3
Arthur has to be very brave to go above ground and face the Red-Hats. What do you think was the bravest thing he did in the whole book, and why?
4
If you could build any invention from the scraps the boxtrolls collected, what would it be and what would it do?
5
The story is filled with the author's own illustrations. How did the pictures change the way you imagined the world of Ratbridge and the characters?
