Matthew and The Midnight Wrestlers Book

Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2007

Matthew loves his art class, but he hates trying to find a way home without running into the neighbourhood bully, Big Mike. Later, as Matthew

watches his favourite wrestling show, he sees a tag team dressed like artists. It gets him thinking. Maybe, if he drinks enough milk, he'll be strong enough to become a wrestler one day. But later, as Matthew drifts off to sleep, he becomes convinced that muscles alone won't do it - he needs a good costume! Then he can take care of Big Mike.

Before he knows it, Matthew is in the middle of another midnight adventure. He meets up with Tooloose the Wrecker, a wrestler who is looking for a partner. Before he knows it Matthew is now called Slap Dash the Masher, and he is about to enter the ring in his first tag team fight. This is no ordinary wrestling match. All the wrestlers are artists, and they have the craziest

costumes. But during the main event, Matthew has to face the Masked Marvel, who looks suspiciously like someone Matthew knows_

Another wild and imaginative adventure that could only happen after bedtime, Matthew and the Midnight Wrestlers is a fun and fast-paced story for beginner readers who are ready for an early chapter book.

Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 5 to 8.

Bullying is a major problem now (and probably has been for ages), but books like this one may help kids learn that bullies don't always win. Matthew is afraid of Mike. In his dream, he meets a man named Taloose the Wrecker who gets Matthew to join his team in a big wrestling free for all. It is Matthew, who with instructions from Taloose and the help of some wrestling juice, manages to outwit Big Mike. Matthew is a budding artist and the team he is fighting against is comprised of some very famous ones--Dali and Magritte to name a few--but those references will probably go right over young readers' heads. The illustrations include elements from some of these great artists' most famous works--perhaps a subliminal message. The good news is that Matthew's mom suggests that he take some judo lesson after his art classes. He is sure to gain even more confidence in his ability to stand up to Mike the bully. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot