LI kids review ‘Under-the-Bed Fred’

I read “Under-the-Bed Fred” by Linda Bailey (Tundra Books). Have you ever wondered if there was a monster under your bed? Have you ever checked?

Well, Leo in “Under-the-Bed Fred” has a monster under his bed. He hears the monster every night, growling and creaking. Leo is terrified. He won’t even use the bathroom at night because he is afraid. One night Leo just cannot wait anymore. Leo works up the courage to stand up to the monster. What happens next might surprise you.

He finally decides to speak up to the monster. Leo is shocked at how kind the monster’s reply is. This begins their nightly conversations. Eventually the monster even comes out from under the bed. The monster wants a name, so they decide to call him Fred. Fred and Leo even become friends. One day, when Leo had a play date that wasn’t going as planned, Fred stood up for Leo. Fred is so unique and special to Leo that Leo even brings Fred to school as his show-and-tell.

Leo and Fred were both lonely. Their friendship shows us that it’s important to get to know people — they may surprise you.

Rating: 5 smiles out of 5

Jennifer Green and Renee Remi’s fourth-grade class, Saddle Rock Elementary School, Great Neck