On a class trip to the Royal Ontario Museum, a dinosaur on exhibit gives nine-year-old Wren the side eye! That same day, dressed in a jaunty bowler hat and scarf, the same dapper dino follows Wren home…
MONTYSAURUS is a 45,000-word middle grade contemporary novel with fantastical elements that reads like “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,” but with dinosaurs.
Perfect for fans of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,” or “Night at the Museum,” MONTYSAURUS is a hilarious and heartwarming story about friendship, finding your place in the world, and the love of a found family—one that comes in all shapes, sizes, and species!
For nine-year-old, nonbinary Wren, fitting in at school is about as likely as running into a real live T-Rex in the hallways. When their teacher announces a dinosaur diorama contest, Wren is determined to win, believing that first prize will give them the acceptance they so desperately want.
Then a pudgy little dino named Monty follows Wren home from the museum in search of gummy worms with gravy—and Wren’s help.
Wren befriends the quirky dino, who, despite having a mouth full of rotten teeth (that sometimes fall out), has learned to speak from museum headsets (which he quotes often). Wren discovers Monty is being hunted by paleontologist, Dr. ‘Mal’ E. Volent. In an attempt to de-extinct the dinosaurs, Dr. Volent is breeding mutant chickensauruses and needs Monty’s DNA to succeed!
Wren struggles to hide Monty as the diabolical doctor closes in. Disaster strikes when Wren’s little brother smashes their diorama and Monty goes missing. Suddenly, Wren must choose between winning instant popularity or saving their new dino bestie (and some misfit chickens).
Wren hatches a daring plan, “The Great Halloween Egg Caper,” to stay overnight at the museum and break into the lab…