FRANKENSTEIN

Books | Web Sites

Books

For Teachers

The Essential Frankenstein: The Definitive, Annotated Edition of Mary Shelley's Classic Novel by Mary Shelley, Leonard Wolf, Editor (Plume, 1993)
The complete novel is analyzed and put into context.

Mary Shelley by Miranda Seymour. (Grove Press, 2002)
This extensive biography portrays Shelley as flawed but remarkably talented and capable.

Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters by Anne K. Mellor (Routledge, 1989)
This analysis of Mary Shelley's life relies on primary sources to explore her relationship with her husband and other people in her life.

Shelley: The Pursuit by Richard Holmes (New York Review of Books, March, 2003)
This biography of Mary Shelley's husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, gives insight into their relationship.

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein's Creator: First Science Fiction Writer by Joan Kane Nichols. (Conari Press, 1998)
Although aimed at young adults, this biography of Shelley's life is also suitable for adults.

The Mary Shelley Reader by Mary Shelley, Betty T. Bennett, Charles E. Robinson (Oxford University Press, 1990)
An anthology of Shelley's work, with essays about her life, letters she wrote, and a bibliography.

For Students

Fiction

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe. (Atheneum, 2004)
Harold the dog narrates the story of how he and Chester the cat uncover the truth about the newest household pet, a suspicious-looking rabbit with strange appetites.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. (Knopf, 1992)
The classic story best suited for older readers.

Frankenstein Doesn't Start Food Fights by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones. (Scholastic, 2003)
The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series. Liza, Eddie, and Melody realize that Howie is acting strangely. Are the cookies in the cafeteria tainted with a monster formula?

Frankenstein Moved in on the Fourth Floor by Elizabeth Levy. (HarperCollins, 1979)
Sam and Robert are determined to learn the truth about their new neighbor — strange Mr. Frank — and one dark and spooky night, they become more convinced that things are not what they seem to be. See also Vampire State Building and Night of the Living Gerbil by the same author.

The Haunting Hour by R. L. Stine. (HarperCollins, 2001)
Ten stories about a terrifying baby-sitter, the scariest Halloween, a vacation trip gone awry, and other horrible happenings

Nightmare by Joan Lowry Nixon. (Delacorte, 2003)
For almost all of her sixteen years, Emily has had the same nightmare. Will she find an explanation for the horrible dream at Camp Excel?

Through the Tempests Dark and Wild by Sharon Darrow. (Candlewick, 2003)
At age fourteen, Mary Shelley is sent to live with friends in Scotland. Based on fact, this is a fictional account of her time there.

Sorcerers of the Nightwing by Geoffrey Huntington. (HarperCollins, 2002)
The Ravenscliff series. Devon March is a young man plagued by monsters, but also gifted with special powers that he is only just beginning to understand. For older readers.

Stephen Fair by Tim Wynne-Jones. (DK Publishing, 1998)
At age fifteen, Stephen begins to have a recurring nightmare — the same nightmare as his brother. Stephen is determined to conquer his pain and reunite his family.

Nonfiction

Frankenstein and Other Tales of Man-made Monsters by Eric Kudalis. (Capstone Press, 1994)
A summary of the famous story introduces chapters about its author Mary Shelley, the movies and television shows it inspired, and the scientific discoveries during Shelley's lifetime that gave her the idea for the story.

Haunted House Jokes by Louis Phillips. (Penguin Putnam, 1999)
A light look at usually scary creatures, including mummies, Dracula, werewolves, and Frankenstein.

Mysterious Monsters by John Townsend. (Raintree, 2004)
Out There series. Explores monsters in myths and fiction as well as those that really exist (like komodo dragons and giant squid) and those that might exist (like the yeti or the bunyip).

Mysterious Monsters: Fact or Fiction? by Terry O'Neill. (Greenhaven Press, 2004)
Opposing Viewpoints series. Evidence that four monsters (Mothman, the chupacabras, modern pterodactyls, and the Dover Demon) exist is presented, then refuted.

That's Weird! Awesome Science Mysteries by Kendall Haven. (Fulcrum Resources, 2001)
Sixteen mysterious and sometimes frightening topics that have given rise to legends are described, along with facts that have been verified by scientists.

Web Sites

Frankenstein
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/shelley.htm
This scholarly site from Kingwood College summarizes the novel, and provides journal articles, Web sites, and other resources.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
http://bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/a2082854
An in-depth article about the author and the book.

Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/frankenstein/frankhome.html
Learn about the novel, its author, and the ways in which the story enters into debates about scientific advances.

The Frankenstein Myth in Film, Theater, and Comics
http://members.aon.at/frankenstein/frankenstein-introduction.htm
This site explores the way the Frankenstein "myth" has entered popular culture.

A Frankenstein Study
http://www.watershedonline.ca/literature/frankenstein/frankenstein.html
This site examines the meaning and continuing power of this classic horror story through essays, FAQs, information, and links.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Chronology & Resource Site
http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologies/mschronology/mws.html
A chronology of Mary Shelley's life and literary works, including resources and reviews of her writing. For older students.

My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
http://home-1.worldonline.nl/~hamberg/
Find out about Mary Shelley's life and her work.