This story has potential as a teaching tool . . . but it's not "there" yet.
The only illustration is on the cover. These are several very short chapters. The plot? A plain little girl--if she's a girl or some type of creature, it's not clear--at Grey Stone school longs to fit in and be accepted by her drab, grey classmates, who either bully or ignore her. The only place she finds solace is when she escapes to the school yard, which is shared by colorful monsters from another school. We'll pass on this one.

I quite enjoyed this quick kids read. First, the negative. I felt like the ending was cute but felt that it could have been taken a bit farther. I would have loved to see all of the kids, monsters and humans alike, get along together and learn the same lessons that Sophie did. Now for the good. I'm glad the main character at least learned that being different isn't bad, it's good. Being different made her faster friends with the monsters and that's a great lesson for kids and adults alike. Overall, I definitely liked the book and would recommend it to anyone, especially grade school aged kids.

I did enjoy this book but some of the bullying aspects I didn't enjoy - 'The Monster at Recess' as it is a lovely story about friendship and embracing imperfections and flaws in others. In the story, Sophie is made to feel alienated by her classmates as she has red hair, no-one helps her and her teacher ignores the comments and bullying. Luckily everything changes when she meets a monster called Zaragilda and things improve for her. I can only give this book three stars, I did initially look at 2 as I don't think any book should portray a teacher who doesn't condone bullying but the rest of the story is ok.

I liked this book! I thin middle grade school kids would appreciate it, too. It's a good story about being the individual you are rather than trying like everybody else. Be yourself! it's so much more fun and original!

This is a short story about a girl who does not fit in at her school, even though she dyed her natural red hair to be brown and the same as all the other girls. The school she goes to is all about browns and greys, but there is another school next door that has what people call monsters, people of all sorts of colors and shapes.

Both schools share the same recess, but go at different times, because the "normal" people are told the monsters would attack them, are bad...etc.

I thought this was a nice little story. I wish it was part of a bigger book. I am glad Sophie finds her place in the end and makes a friend.

The Monster at Recess has an inviting bright and cheerful cover featuring a cute, diverse assortment of monsters that capture your imagination before you even read the blurb. Shira Potter has written an uplifting book that will resonate with young girls, especially those who don't feel like they belong.

Sophie attends Grey Stone Day School. The monsters at Monstamasta Day School share the same playground as the students at Sophie's school but have recess at a different time, as girls at Grey Stone aren't supposed to talk to the monsters. Sophie's school is filled with drab grey and black, and she's envious of the various monster colours.

Sophie doesn't fit in at her school, even after she convinces her mother to dye her naturally red hair brown to match the other girls. She is bullied, ignored and gossiped about. When Sophie meets Zaragilda, a purplish pink monster with red stars on her face, she finds a new friend and discovers that being different isn't so bad after all.

The messages about making judgements about other people based on their looks and reputation, the constraints of conformity versus the freedom of being yourself, the damaging effects on self esteem of bullying, and having the courage to go against the grain are vital and made clear to the reader.

I appreciated the positivity and hope found in this book, and the encouragement to be yourself. One of my favourite things about this book was learning that it was the bullies who were the real monsters, not the colourful monsters the girls were taught to fear. I want this book to find its way into homes, libraries and schools, and into the hands of lots of young girls, particularly those who have experienced bullying or feel different from their peers.

I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you very much to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

At A Glance:

age range: 1st-3rd graders

Pros:
Easy to read text
great premise
spunky main character

Cons:
I wish there was more description of how drab the school is, to juxtapose the monster school.

I loved the idea of the monsters being the friendly characters and the humans being the bullies to the main character. I think that this book could be a jumping off point for a few important discussions with children. 1st, we shouldn't judge people--give everyone a chance- you might just make a new friend. 2nd, there's all sorts of bullying--ignoring, saying mean things, gossiping. 3rd, it's ok to be different.

I also really enjoyed the descriptions of the monsters. They seem really fun.

My only critique would be that the monsters are all described in such colorful detail, it would have been fun to read a bit more on how dull and drab Sophie's school was.