Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong

Begin with the cover - can you see the shadow? This hints at the content of this story. The end papers also link nicely with the beginning and ending of this tale.

"Every night at midnight I turn into a wolf."

Stop and talk to your group. What does this mean? Has anyone heard of a werewolf? Look closely at the first page. The walls are black and filled with sketches by the young boy. If you look really hard you can see his book and pencil case with his name Felix. 

Once Felix is a wolf he sets off, wearing his red sweater, to explore the streets near his home late in the night. All of this makes for exciting adventures but when his friends invite him to a sleepover, he has to say no.

"So I keep to myself, and they leave me alone. I am perfectly fine on my own ... (but) I wish I didn't turn into a werewolf every night, though."

Then a new girl arrives at school. She is instantly popular and it turns out she can run much faster than Felix. Why? You need to read this book to find the answer which might surprise your young reading companion.

This story about loneliness, not fitting in, being different, and making friends is a timely reminder that we are not all the same. I did wonder about the boy/wolf’s parents who are conspicuous by their absence and how does he survive at school every day without any sleep?  These boring adult concerns are irrelevant as children mightily enjoy the fun and adventure of being able to shape shift and cavort about at night without supervision. Story Links

You can see inside this book on Peter Cheong's web site. 

This book is a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable title - or long listed title - for our book awards. In this case it is in the Picture Book of the Year category.

Here are the judges' comments: This highly original and engaging book about staying true to one’s identity and finding friendship in an unlikely place would be very appealing for the younger reader. Evocative language is used effectively, setting the tone for this whimsical story and maintaining mood throughout. Soft rhythm and effective repetition of phrasing reinforce elements of the narrative with a minimalistic approach used in placement of written text between each double page spread. Illustrative style is creative with colour palette perfectly matched to the written text. Design and layout are imaginative and creative in reinforcing and expanding on the narrative. Visuals provide added elements to the written text e.g. the subtle shadows in some windows towards the end of the book hint at another layer to the narrative.

Warm and dreamy, this sweet story captures the joy of finding your pack. Kirkus

Now for the final page - this is sure to elicit a lot of comments from your group. 

• Look closely at the group of friends gathered in the white-haired girl's bedroom in the final scene. 
• Think about the way we see Felix wearing his red sweater both as a human and a werewolf.
• Did he really turn into a werewolf? Could this book really be about 'fitting in' or shyness or difference?
• Does the final scene change the way you read the story a second or third time?
• Are the 'kids' in the final scene from Felix's class?
• What do you think about the boy who is dressed as a bear? Is this another story hint?
• How does the red sweater work as a way to better understand more about Felix?

Here are the questions written by Scholastic in their Australian Standing Orders notes.

The book design here is excellent contrasting night and day scenes and one wordless double spread. Peter Cheong also very effectively shows Felix and his new friend racing across the city.

With a group of older students, you could compare this book with this one - it is out of print but is sure to be held in many school libraries. 

And here is some background reading for adults about werewolves and some information you could share with a group of older students.