{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20261010T034321Z-reviewed-full-unique-works","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631985469?tag=bookfrontie00-20","asin":"1631985469","authors":["Erik Talkin"],"book_id":"9781631985461","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/lulu-and-the-hunger-monster-9781631985461","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781631985461.jpg?v=b5d9fa3920dc9740","description":"\"In this story illustrating the reality of childhood hunger and food insecurity, Lulu invites kids into her world to help them understand what it's like to battle the Hunger Monster. Lulu and the Hunger Monster delivers the right message at the right time, helping readers recognize the problem of childhood hunger and moving them to find solutions.\" — Jeff Bridges, actor and anti-hunger advocate When Lulu's mother's van breaks down, money for food becomes tight and the Hunger Monster comes into their lives. Only visible to Lulu, Hunger Monster is a troublemaker who makes it hard for her to concentrate in school. How will Lulu help her mom and defeat the Monster when Lulu has promised never to speak the monster's name to anyone? This realistic—and hopeful—story of food insecurity builds awareness of the issue of childhood hunger, increases empathy for people who are food insecure, and demonstrates how anyone can help end hunger. Lulu and the Hunger Monster™ empowers children to destigmatize the issue of hunger before the feeling turns into shame. The author combines years of experience fighting hunger as a food bank CEO with an MFA in writing for young children to craft an honest story of how poverty and food insecurity can affect adults and their children. Lulu’s story addresses the effects of hunger on learning and can be used in group settings to address social justice issues in an accessible and encouraging way. Lulu and the Hunger Monster has been awarded the International Literacy Association's 2021 Social Justice Literature Award and a 2020 Foreword INDIES Honorable Mention, Picture Books, Early Reader (Children's). Food Justice Books for Kids series This series takes complex food justice issues—food insecurity, how food is marketed and sold, and food systems—and makes them kid-friendly and fun to read. In three separate but connected stories, Lulu, Jesse, and Frankie confront the Hunger Monster, Snack Food Genie, and Food Phantom. As they do, readers follow along and learn more about how each of us can take small steps toward greater food justice for everyone. A section at the back of each book offers children ways to further explore the story and make a difference in their own communities.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9781631985461","publication_date":"20200824","publisher":"Free Spirit Publishing","slug":"lulu-and-the-hunger-monster","subtitle":"","title":"Lulu and the Hunger Monster ™"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"JUV039070","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Homelessness & Poverty","score":0.7713,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Big Feelings","score":0.7637,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039220","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Values & Virtues","score":0.7616,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"JUV039070","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Homelessness & Poverty","score":0.7713,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Big Feelings","score":0.7637,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039220","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Values & Virtues","score":0.7616,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"JUV039050","confidence_band":"high","label":"Big Feelings","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039070","confidence_band":"high","label":"Homelessness & Poverty","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"JUV039220","confidence_band":"high","label":"Values & Virtues","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Homelessness & Poverty","score":0.7713,"slug":"homelessness-poverty"},{"label":"Big Feelings","score":0.7637,"slug":"big-feelings"},{"label":"Values & Virtues","score":0.7616,"slug":"values-virtues"}],"reader_fit":["For children learning about hunger and food insecurity","For group discussions of social justice issues"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Louise Spilsbury"],"book_id":"9781438050195","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781438050195.jpg?v=3a121e3ff0251e5f","score":0.7643,"title":"Poverty and Hunger","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781438050195"},{"authors":["John Schu"],"book_id":"9781536229097","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781536229097.jpg?v=113df1b4e6c94a98","score":0.7484,"title":"Louder Than Hunger","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781536229097"},{"authors":["Mary Amato"],"book_id":"9780823419401","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780823419401.jpg?v=9bf66d7fe58d49fe","score":0.699,"title":"The Word Eater","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780823419401"},{"authors":["Jory John"],"book_id":"9780063469730","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780063469730.jpg?v=1b322ed5e2dbee27","score":0.6933,"title":"The Humble Pie","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780063469730"},{"authors":["Alice Oehr"],"book_id":"9781957363172","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781957363172.jpg?v=a1aa6194ef7de2c4","score":0.6878,"title":"Off to the Market","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781957363172"},{"authors":["James Ransome"],"book_id":"9780593324882","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780593324882.jpg?v=35234f8440ad32f4","score":0.6853,"title":"A Place for US","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780593324882"},{"authors":["Rex Ogle"],"book_id":"9781324016946","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781324016946.jpg?v=481364c45b38ef32","score":0.6839,"title":"Free Lunch","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781324016946"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:teaching kids about poverty"],"label":"Kids","score":1,"slug":"kids"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:childrens book about hunger"],"label":"Childrens","score":0.1936,"slug":"childrens"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:childrens book about hunger"],"label":"About","score":0.1333,"slug":"about"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:help end hunger"],"label":"Help","score":0.0644,"slug":"help"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:impact of hunger on learning"],"label":"Learning","score":0.0532,"slug":"learning"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: Childhood hunger and food insecurity, Poverty’s effects on learning, Reducing stigma around hunger.","Themes: Kids, Childrens, Help.","Reading lane: Homelessness & Poverty and Big Feelings."]},"llm_signals":{"confidence":0.96,"pacing":"unknown","reader_fit":["For children learning about hunger and food insecurity","For group discussions of social justice issues"],"themes":["Childhood hunger and food insecurity","Poverty’s effects on learning","Reducing stigma around hunger"],"tropes":[]},"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":true,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":61,"goodreads_ratings_count":94,"goodreads_reviews_count":26,"quality_score":0.8869}}