History Literature / MonsterOfTheYear

** Lulu Toomaloo, [[AcceptableTargets as the author will frequently remind you]]. She's always out to make trouble, and is described as looking "like she was in training as a replacement for the Goodyear Blimp".
** Myrna Smud is also overweight and a thoroughly unpleasant person.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: The revised edition removes all the references to Lulu being overweight and is described as being skinny instead.

* DisappearedDad: The narration casually mentions that Michael hasn't seen his father since he was six months old.

* TheMaidenNameDebate: Protagonist Michael [=McGraw=] reveals through narration that his mother (Elsa Adams) changed her name to her husband's when she got married, changed back after they divorced, and said she'd stay with her maiden name for the rest of her life. Michael, on the other hand, had his name changed to match his stepfather's. As he puts it, "This confuses outsiders, since they can't figure out who I really belong to, but it suits the three of us just fine."

* Bowdlerise: The revised edition removes all the references to Lulu being overweight and is described as being skinny instead.

* WPUN: Mike and Kevver's favorite radio station, with its DJ Skip Toomaloo (and which ends up sponsoring the titular Monster of the Year contest), has the callsign WERD.

* SpoiledBrat: When Lulu was a baby, her parents spoiled her rotten - whatever she wanted, she got (Michael guesses that her parents figured it was better than hearing her scream). She's never grown out of this behavior, and her parents haven't either (in fact, she's the reason Station WERD sponsored the Monster of the Year contest, since she made all sorts of threats about what would happen if they didn't). About the only time they don't give in to her demands is when she threatens to hold her breath until she turns blue if they don't adopt Michael and Kevver immediately (she's nuts about them). When he exasperatedly tells the boys about this, Skip also informs them that he had to call a lawyer and have ''them'' explain to Lulu why it wasn't possible for them to do so.
* SupremeChef: Michael's mother claims she can cook like Betty Crocker, and it's not far from the truth. She doesn't ''like'' doing it more than once a month or so, since she's so busy with keeping up the house and her business, but she can when she feels the need. (The rest of the time, unless Jeff or Michael cooks, they usually just get Chinese takeout.)
* TakeThat: The whole book is one to censorship. In-universe, Mike and Kevver decide to make a monster billboard as a shot at BAM for trying to shut down Mrs. Adams' business.
* TheatrePhantom: One makes a brief cameo in one scene. He has exactly one line of dialogue, suggesting they try to improve their reputations via an appearance on Broadway, and is never specifically mentioned again.
* ThisMeansWar: The Count is the one to say it after Myrna Smud's motivations are revealed while they're in Michael's living room, watching her on TV:

* WouldHurtAChild: During the big riot the night of the contest, Myrna Smud whacks young Lulu Toomaloo, who's been leading a cheer in support of the monsters, over the head with her "Ban all monsters" sign. That's what triggers the crowd to go ''completely'' nuts and turns them all in favor of Lulu and the monsters.

* AdaptationNameChange: Skip Toomaloo's name is altered in the 2020 edition; here, his real name is Eddie, and "Skip" is a nickname.

* [[FatBastard Fat Bitch]]:

* BlackBestFriend: Kevver Smith, the deuteragonist of the story. He and Michael are close enough that they call one another's mothers "Mom", which gets them some odd looks when they do it in public.

* MoralGuardians: Myrna Smud, who serves as the antagonist, and her organization BAM!, aka "Billboards Are [[TemptingFate Monstrous]]".

* BigEater: Lulu Toomaloo, who's been this way since she was a baby.
* BlackBestFriend: Kevver Smith, the deuteragonist of the story.

* [[FatBastard Fat Bitch]]: Lulu Toomaloo, [[AcceptableTargets as the author will frequently remind you]]. She's described as looking "like she was in training as a replacement for the Goodyear Blimp".

* OnlySaneWoman: Michael's mother, Elsa Adams.

* SpoiledBrat: When Lulu was a baby, her parents spoiled her rotten - whatever she wanted, she got (Michael guesses that her parents figured it was better than hearing her scream). She's never grown out of this behavior, and her parents haven't either. About the only time they don't give in to her demands is when she threatens to hold her breath until she turns blue if they don't adopt Michael and Kevver immediately (she's nuts about them). When he exasperatedly tells the boys about this, Skip also informs them that he had to call a lawyer and have ''them'' explain to Lulu why it wasn't possible for them to do so.

* WouldHurtAChild: During the big riot the night of the contest, Myrna Smud whacks young Lulu Toomaloo, who's been leading a cheer in support of the monsters, over the head with her "Ban all monsters" sign. That's what triggers the crowd to go ''completely'' nuts and turns them all in favor of Lulu.

* OnlySaneWoman: Michael's mother.

* FoodFight: One breaks out during the dinner at Chez Stadium when the monsters get into an argument, and Quasimodo squashes his French pastry, aiming it at Sigmund Fred... but misses and gets a woman at a nearby table. Things escalate from there.

-->'''TV interviewer''': "Just what is it about the monsters that bothers you so much, Mrs. Smud?

** AwesomeMcCoolName: Skip Toomaloo, however, has an arguably worse name, but seems to take pride in it.

* CompositeCharacter: A hunchback named Igor takes sole credit for creating Frankenstein's monster, completely cutting Victor Frankenstein out of the equation.

''Monster of the Year'' is a 1989 children's book by Creator/BruceCoville about Michael [=McGraw=] and Kevver Smith, two sixth-graders who decide to use Michael's mother's advertising agency to pull a prank on an anti-billboard group and advertise a "Monster of the Year" contest. Unbeknownst to them, a lot of monsters are eager to discern who among them is the monster of the year, and his house suddenly becomes filled with various [[UniversalHorror classic movie monsters]].

* BlackBestFriend: Kevvers Smith, the deuteragonist of the story.

''Monster of the Year'' is a 1989 children's book about Michael [=McGraw=] and Kevvers Smith, two sixth-graders who decide to use Michael's mother's advertising agency to pull a prank on an anti-billboard group and advertise a "Monster of the Year" contest. Unbeknownst to them, a lot of monsters are eager to discern who among them is the monster of the year, and his house suddenly becomes filled with various [[UniversalHorror classic movie monsters]].

!!The franchise provides examples of:

* BrattyHalfPint: Lulu Toomaloo.

* [[FatBastard Fat Bitch]]: Lulu Toomaloo, [[AcceptableTargets as the author will frequently remind you]].
* MonsterMash: The basic premise of the entire novel.
* MoralGuardians: BAM!, aka "Billboards Are [[TemptingFate Monstrous]]".

* PungeonMaster: Kevvers is said to be this.
* UnfortunateName: Lulu Toomaloo, who's believed to have vowed revenge on her parents by being as bratty as possible.
** AwesomeMcCoolName: Skip Toomaloo, however, has an arguably worse name, but seems to take pride in it.

''Monster of the Year'' is a 1989 children's book about Michael [=McGraw=], a sixth-grader who decides to use his mother's advertising agency to pull a prank on an anti-billboard group and advertise a "Monster of the Year" contest. Unbeknownst to him, a lot of monsters are eager to discern who among them is the monster of the year, and his house suddenly becomes filled with various [[MonsterMash classic movie monsters]].

* AcceptableTargets: The whole story kicks off with an [[MoralGuardians anti-billboard group]] stepping in on Michael's mother's business.
** [[ValuesDissonance A little less acceptable for modern audiences]], the book takes many shots at Lulu's weight.

** AwesomeMcCoolName: Skip Toomaloo, however, has an arguably worse name, but seems to take pride in it.
* ValuesDissonance: Fat jokes were a little more acceptable in 1989 than they are in the 21st century.

''Monster of the Year'' is a 1989 children's book about Michael [=McGraw=], a sixth-grader who decides to use his mother's advertising agency to pull a prank on his teacher and advertise a "Monster of the Year" contest. Unbeknownst to him, a lot of monsters are eager to discern who among them is the monster of the year, and his house suddenly becomes filled with various [[MonsterMash classic movie monsters]].

* MonsterMash: The basic premise of the entire novel.