monster

Every evening Maria sits by the window and reads a small book that tells stories about gentle creatures . In one story a shy monster learns to help others , and Maria smiles at the pictures because the character is kind rather than frightening . She has been reading the same book for weeks , so she knows the pages by heart and often finishes a story before dinner . Although the cover looks dark , the tales inside are warm and teach simple lessons about friendship . When her brother comes home they talk about the monster and decide which character they like best .