Book details
Linda Bailey - Author
A moody, child-focused biography of Mary Shelley that links imagination, reading, family influences, travel and scientific ideas with the creation of Frankenstein.
Book Analysis
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Sign in for personalised guidanceHow the book presents it: The book presents this favourably.
Talk about: What kinds of thoughts, images or experiences help Mary begin her story?
How the book presents it: The book presents that disbelief as an obstacle and ends by affirming that writers can dream stories awake and asleep.
Talk about: How does the book show Mary responding to people who doubted her authorship?
How the book presents it: The book presents this mainly as information or explanation.
Talk about: If the book raises questions about bringing life to dead matter, what questions does it invite readers to ask?
It can open conversations about where stories come from, how experiences and ideas shape creative work, and how a young woman’s authorship was questioned.
The illustrations and story include graves, a monster made from dead body parts, ghost-story imagery, storms and a frightening waking dream; reactions may vary.
How does the book connect Mary’s daydreams, reading, family experiences and encounters with science to the story she eventually creates?
Read together if the graveyard and monster imagery might be unsettling. Pause to examine how pictures create mood, then invite the child to invent a story from an ordinary dream or thought.
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
Limited information
Checked: 22 September 2026.
Relevant to: Imagination and creative beginnings; Science, responsibility and the monster
Limited information
Checked: 22 September 2026.
Relevant to: Imagination and creative beginnings
Limited information
Checked: 22 September 2026.
Relevant to: Women’s authorship and recognition; Science, responsibility and the monster
Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.
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