Thoughts about My Brother Dan's Delicious by Steven Layne

As a class, we recently read My Brother Dan's Delicious by Steven Layne.  In this book, the main character, Joey, has everything going for him: he's smart, he's finally eight (and a half), and his parents at last understand he's old enough to be left at home alone until his older brother, Dan, comes home. Joey soon realizes that his parents have announced to the whole world that he has been left home alone. Joey lets his imagination run wild and convinces himself that there is a monster in the house. He decides to appeal to the monsters hunger by persuading him that his older brother Dan is a more delicious choice.  When Dan finally comes home, Joey is so delighted he hugs him like he hasn't seen him in months.    

Joey is motivated to feed his brother to the monsters because without telling us directly Joey is terrified of being alone in his house.  I know this because throughout the story Joey checks each room and each closet for monsters.  As he checks each room, he shouts out, "My Brother Dan is Delicious.", to convince the monsters to eat Dan.  He also gives many reasons why eating his brother Dan is better than eating a small, smart, fast, candy eating eight year old.  Joey is motivated to feed his brother Dan to the monsters because he is scared to be home alone.

I know how Joey felt because once I was home alone too. I was scared because it was a thunderstorm and I had left the back door open.  I was feeling frightened similar to the way Joey was feeling, but not wanting to admit it.  Like Joey, I checked every room for possible invaders (or people).  I did not encourage the possible people in the house to eat my sister, but I did bang pots and pans to scare them away. Just like Joey, I was scared when I was home alone, which is

why I think he was really scared  of the monsters in his house even though he never admitted it.