CM Magazine: Matthew and the Midnight Bank.

________________ CM . . . . Volume VIII Number 10 . . . . January 18, 2002

Matthew and the Midnight Bank.

Allen Morgan. Illustrated by Michael Martchenko.
Toronto, ON: Stoddart Kids, 2000.
32 pp., pbk., $8.99.
ISBN 0-7737-6134-9.

Subject Headings:
Holmes, Matthew (Fictitious character)-Juvenile fiction.
Banks and banking-Juvenile fiction.
Bank robberies-Juvenile fiction.

Kindergarten-grade 4 / Ages 5-9.

Review by Denise Weir.

*** /4

excerpt:

Later that night when it was time for bed, Matthew checked his money bag. He'd done pretty well at Monopoly, but still, even so, he felt a bit worried.

"Are we going to run out of money?" he asked, as his mother tucked him in.

"No, we're not." She assured him. "We still have plenty left."

"Where is it all?"

"It's in the bank. They'll keep it safe and help it to grow so we'll have even more when we need it." She kissed him goodnight and turned out the light.

"I wish I could help our money grow, too," Matthew thought as he closed his eyes. Just before he fell asleep, he heard the sound of the wind chimes outside ringing softly in the night.

When Matthew's mother is too busy paying bills to play "Secret Monopoly," Matthew's creative version of that game, Matthew plays for her. But, she loses. Matthew begins to worry about his mother and their financial position. In an attempt to help his mother, Matthew does what any child might do. He tries to grow money by planting a penny under a bush. Despite his mother's reassurances that they have enough money and that it will grow in the bank, Matthew's worries follow him into his sleep. In his dreams, Matthew picks money bags from the money bush in the back yard, plays Monopoly at the Midnight Bank with a man named Fargo, and foils an attempted bank robbery by some "dangerous pigeons." As a reward for preventing the crime, Matthew is given one of the bank's mega coins. He shares the coin with Fargo, pays off his mother's debts, and still has money left over. Unfortunately, Matthew's mother is not convinced of their financial freedom when she hears the story in the morning.

In this story, the child excels at the expense of adults. Matthew is the responsible person in the story. He acts or imagines to "change" his mother's financial situation by trying to grow money. He "picks the money" from the money bush. He enters into a partnership with Fargo to play Monopoly at the Bank. He is responsible for stopping bank robbers. Self-esteem is a central message in this story. A child can "change" the circumstances of his life and the lives of those around him.

Humour abounds in the text and illustrations of this book. Both the language of the book and the illustrations ably convey the chaos of the situation at the Midnight Bank. Through the illustrations, the reader has a good sense of the chaotic joy of living in the present, an aspect of a happy childhood. Emotional bonds and moral characteristics are also presented in the illustrations. Moreover, the final illustration is essential to the ending of the story as it implies that Matthew's mother has engaged in his imaginary world.

Matthew and the Midnight Bank is a humorous book that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Recommended.

Denise Weir is a consultant with Manitoba Culture, Heritage, and Tourism, Public Library Services. Her background includes developing children's programming projects and school librarianship.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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