The Monster in the Third Dresser Drawer

The Monster in the Third Dresser Drawer
and other stories by about Adam Joshua
By: Janice Lee Smith
Fiction

This book is about a young boy named Adam Joshua who isn't happy when he finds out his family is moving. He is frustrated and very angry and writes on his new room wall, "moving is moving and there's not much you can do about it. The move is only the beginning of the changes that Adam Joshua is about to face. Next he finds out that his parents are having a baby and he knows all about babies from his friend Nelson. He was not happy when his grandmother told him he was going to have to start being quiet, acting more grown-up, and being considerate. His new room was no longer just his, he now had to share it with his new baby sister. He finally becomes content with having a baby in the family. When Adam Joshua got a loose tooth everyone in his family told him to "wait," while he and his friend Nelson tried everything they could to get it out. When Adam Joshua has a babysitter he tries to go to sleep but can't because there is a monster in the third dresser draw. Luckily, when his mom comes home she is able to scare it away. Then Adam Joshua's Great-Aunt Emily, who he doesn't get along with, comes to visit. She gives him a gift for the very first time which is an old picture of her and her family. For the first time, they got to know each other and Adam Joshua was very happy. In the last chapter, Adam Joshua becomes angry with his sister because he is tired of her living in his room and says "she's got to go." His father tells him her room is almost finished and ask him to watch her until they are done with the room. He was happy when his sister finally moved into her new room, but he decided she was lonely and carried her to his room to sleep.

This would be a great book for children whose families are expecting a new baby. It can be used as a way to show them that no matter how frustrating a baby may be at first you will grow to love it in a special way. A good way to implement this book into the classroom would be with writing. You could ask your students to write the next story of the book. Invite them to be creative and to write what they think will happen next in Adam Joshua's life. You could also have them do an art project where they make the monster that was in the third dresser drawer out of different materials. These can be great opportunities for students to get creative in the classroom.