The Monster That Ate My Socks by A.J. Cosmo {Children’s Book Review}

Genre: Children’s
Pages: 30
Rating: 4 out of 5

A young boy, who is about to be grounded for going through so many socks, discovers that a monster has been eating them.

Max is a young boy who is constantly getting in trouble for his socks disappearing. He doesn’t know where they go, but he does know that if he doesn’t do something quickly his mom will ground him for summer. Max soon discovers that a little green monster is sneaking into his room at night and eating his sweaty socks. His mother, of course, doesn’t believe him, so Max calls on his best friend to come for a sleepover to catch the monster.
They devise a trap and capture the monster only to learn that the creature can speak. It hasn’t meant to cause any harm, it’s just trying to feed its family. The monster shows them his home and his three little children and begs the boys not to turn them over to the adults. Adults, he says, want to destroy monsters.

The boys are left in a pickle. Allow the monsters to be and get grounded, or turn the monsters in knowing what will happen to them? Neither idea seems good, so they come up with a new plan!

The second my 6 year old saw this book, he was excited. He wanted to read it before I could and then bragged to his sister that they got a new book.

The story was cute and the pictures make it even cuter.

It was only 30 pages with text that were big enough for the kids to not panic over and the words were easy enough that my 1st grader was able to read without too much difficulty.

The story is about a parent monster who has to find food to feed its babies. The only problem? The monsters eat dirty socks and bad homework.

Bad homework isn’t bad per se, but what parent wants to continue buying socks for their kids?

Two kids in the book are the only two who believe in and have seen the monster and are the only two who can figure out a way to keep the monster family from starving but still keep from getting in trouble with their missing socks.

Together, they all come to a conclusion that works for both the boys and the monsters.

It is definitely a book that I would recommend to 1st graders through maybe 3rd graders to read aloud. Younger kids would like it read to them (in my opinion).

The few pictures there are, are cute enough to keep a little one’s attention!

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About the Author

A.J. Cosmo’s stories are crafted to help parents teach their children simple everyday lessons in an easy to understand manner. By artfully marrying beautiful illustrations and language, children are challenged to explore his magical worlds. Written for the transitional reader, A.J.’s stories allow your child to develop and master a new level of reading.

Interview with A.J.Cosmo:

There are many books out there about monsters. What makes yours different?

From what I understand, it’s that the protagonist solves his issue without using violence, instead choosing to find an amicable situation for everyone. I try to offer unusual, organic, monsters that are unlike what people have seen before. I also try to twist my stories towards the unexpected and attempt to communicate truths that are a bit uncomfortable for most authors and readers. Some of my favorite, and most controversial, work has been with stories and characters that buck the “everything is perfect and wonderful” trend. Above all else, I want to communicate the ideas of imagination, non-violence, problem solving, exploration, and acceptance. My monsters all represent an explanation of a phenomenon in order to suggest that there is more to the world, that there really is magic and mystery, and that we are free to create and explore that space.

What genre do you write and why?

I write predominately in Juvenile Fiction mostly within the realms of monsters, aliens, and dragons. I like the surreal, the unexplained, and the imaginative, and I’d like to spark a drive in my readers that there is more to life than what they see in front of them.

Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?

I have to watch distractions and allow my mind a minute or two of ADD before I snap into writing. It’s said that you need thirteen minutes to fully concentrate on a project, so if I can make it past the fifteen-minute mark without doing the dishes or checking my cell phone, I know that I will be productive for the remainder of the session. It’s that first five minutes that’s killer.

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?

I do most of my planning on paper (outlining, character sketches, etc.) While I do most of the word casting on the laptop in Word or Notepad (yes, that Notepad.) Then I’ll do readings on printouts to get a feel for the text (sorry trees) and then do additional revisions and edits on the computer. I think the great benefit of machines is the speed you can get your ideas down. Unfortunately the drawback is that everything comes out and that’s not always good, especially first ideas. Writing on paper forces you to think about what you’re doing as you write so the text tends to be more succinct and involved. Of course that takes additional time. So I think it’s best to use both methods as you see fit.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Omnibus, The Urantia Book, and “A Song of Fire and Ice” so I can finally stop avoiding Game of Thrones and understand what everyone is talking about.

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