about the book
Most older siblings with little brothers know they can be annoying, but sixth-grader Jake’s brother LD—meaning “Little Dumpling”—is literally a monster, complete with fur, pointy ears, and fangs every time there is a full moon. Even so, Jake loves his brother, and wouldn’t let anything happen to him, no matter what.
Lily is Jake’s best friend, and matches his quirks with her own. Where Jake obsessive-compulsively taps on things and gets freaked out by bridges, Lily is somewhat macabre, her favorite song being “Cannibal Bunnies Go to the Fair,” and her favorite hangout a cemetery mausoleum.
However, even Jake and Lily could not believe Lily’s Grandpa Gnarly when he tells them that his famous fantasy fiction about a land called Always October is actually real. Then a monster baby showed up on their doorstep—Little Dumpling.
Now Jake and Lily realize Always October is very real, and Little Dumpling is in trouble. In order to save LD, the intrepid sixth-graders will have to go to this strange land—a place reportedly conjured from human imagination, which gives form to and contains the fears of living things. And they will have to help the “Woven Worlds,” which are threatened by Unravelers who seek chaos and destruction for every world, and to sever all ties with “Humana.” Earth.
about the author
Bruce Coville admits that he spent much of his childhood in Syracuse, New York, watching TV instead of reading. He loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Doolittle. But truth be told, mostly he read what his parents considered junk—The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, and zillions of comics!
A sixth-grade class assignment to write a long story convinced Bruce that he was very good at writing and that he really liked doing it. At seventeen, he decided to make writing his life’s work. His only problem was he had to put in a lot of time as a toymaker, gravedigger, cookware salesman, assembly line worker, and (after attending Duke University) grade-school teacher before he actually became a real published author.
At nineteen, Bruce married his childhood neighbor, Katherine Diets, an artist, and they had three children. Bruce and Katherine started creating children’s books together. They still make Syracuse their home, though the kids are all grown. They have two cats, fluffy white Dickens, and Mo, a sweet tabby. Perdita, a stray, makes her home in Bruce’s office which is in a separate building.
Bruce has written over 60 books, three musical plays, poems, short stories, newspaper articles, and billions of letters. He is the founder of Full Cast Audio which makes unabridged recordings of children’s and young adult books.
If you’ve read any of Bruce’s books, you must realize that he has a wicked sense of humor. Check out his website, and enjoy his hilarious FAQs and Fun Stuff.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Amazon
Also by Bruce Coville:
Goblins on the Prowl (Magic Shop Book). Aladdin. June 2015.
Diary of a Mad Brownie. Random House Books for Young Readers. February 2015.
A Magic Shop Book series. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1982-2015.
My Teacher Flunked the Planet (My Teacher Is an Alien, Book 4). Aladdin. 2014.
My Teacher Glows in the Dark (My Teacher Is an Alien, Book 3). Aladdin. 2014.
My Teacher Fried My Brains (My Teacher Is an Alien, Book 2). Aladdin. 2014.
My Teacher Is an Alien (Book 1). Aladdin. 2014.
The Unicorn Chronicles series. Scholastic. 1994-2010.
Oddest of All. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 2008.
The Moongobble and Me series. Simon & Schuster. 2003-2008.
Thor’s Wedding Day : By Thialfi, the Goat Boy. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 2005.
The Monsters of Morley Manor. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 2001.
read more!
Here Be Monsters! (Ratbridge Chronicles, Book 1) by Alan Snow
Arthur lives beneath the city of Ratbridge with his grandmother, in a world inhabited by the most unusual creatures. Using a flying contraption, he flutters over the city looking for food when he is trapped by Snatcher, an evil villain. With the help of the queen’s lawyer, Arthur makes his way home, encountering boxtrolls, cabbageheads, pirates who run a laundry, and a man imprisoned in iron socks!
How to Catch a Bogle (Book 1) by Catherine Jinks
Young Birdie, an orphan, is the apprentice of eccentric Alfred the Bogler, whose job is catching monsters. Birdie lures the monsters, or bogles, out of their vile lairs with her sweet songs, and then Alfred kills the monsters before they can harm her. Birdie is good at her job and having a lot of fun… until something goes wrong.
My Teacher Is an Alien (Book 1) by Bruce Coville
Susan knows her new substitute teacher is kind of weird, but she didn’t realize how weird “Mr. Smith” was until she sees him peeling off his face! Mr. Smith is an alien! No one believes her, though, until she talks with Peter, the class brain. Together Peter and Susan discover Mr. Smith has terrible plans for their class. They must stop him!