Munmun
In a parallel world, the size of humans depends on how much money (munmun) they have. The poorest people are tiny (the size of rats) and face daily challenges and dangers (cats, being stepped on, or just getting from Point A to Point B can all prove deadly). Wealthy people are giant-sized by comparison and have to eat and drink massive quantities just to stay alive. But no one is stuck in their sizes, and with enough munmun, a tiny person can size up. Warner is a scrappy LittlePoor—the smallest, poorest, and weakest of beings. At his mother’s direction, he and his best friend Usher accompany Warner’s sister across town to a law school campus, hoping she will attract the attentions of a MiddleRich law student who might fall in love with her and then size her—and possibly, the whole family—up. Their escapades are both hilarious and hair-raising as events unfold in Warner’s comically distinctive voice. Warner uses a deliciously skewed English, which includes new compound words and clever phonetic spellings, in this original novel that offers a sharp, witty social satire, as well as an exploration of economic inequities. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Class Issues
Economic Hardship and Poverty
Fantasy
Satire
Diversity subjects:
Cognitive/Neurological Disability/Condition
Physical Disability/Condition
Publishers:
Abrams, Amulet
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 404
ISBN: 9781419728716
CCBC Location: Fiction, Andrews